City manager confirms outside agency investigating Wichita police

Wichita City Manager Robert Layton confirmed Monday that there is an outside investigation into the Wichita Police Department.

Asked Monday morning what he could say about accusations that the department covered up an incident involving an off-duty officer suspected of a hit-and-run, Layton said, “At this point, there isn’t a lot I can say because we do know that information has been requested of us by another investigative body, we have provided that information. I don’t want to do anything that would possibly jeopardize that.”

Asked if that investigative body is the FBI, Layton said, “I’m not at liberty to talk about that,” later adding, “We’re not the ones totally in control of the situation.”

Tiffany Dahlquist was suspected of drinking and driving and sideswiping another car then driving off despite shouts from the other driver to pull over, records show. She was off-duty at the time of the incident.

The department changed a police report to list the driver as unknown. That happened after the officer had already identified herself as the driver, police records show.

Dahlquist’s attorney, Jonathan McConnell, has denied that she was involved in any accident or is the target of any criminal investigation.

A private investigator has said the FBI is investigating the Police Department’s internal investigation of the officer. A source told The Eagle last month that FBI agents served subpoenas to at least a dozen Wichita police personnel, including upper-level ranking officers.

Layton said Monday that he has faith in Police Chief Gordon Ramsay and that he understands the department’s refusal to discuss cases involving employees is frustrating.

“It’s also frustrating to us,” he said. “Be assured however that the city and the chief take any and all allegations of improper behavior very seriously and that further investigation of the matters that have been discussed will be conducted and at an appropriate time will be discussed with the media and the public at large.”

This story was originally published October 17, 2017 at 9:20 AM with the headline "City manager confirms outside agency investigating Wichita police."