Wichita motorcycle officer shoots at person driving at him, police say

Update, 6:15 p.m.:

One person is in custody after a Wichita police officer shot at a driver, authorities say.

A K-9 unit was used to help find and arrest a male individual in a field south of Orme Street at around 5:45 p.m., Officer Charley Davidson said. Police said that person did not have any serious injuries.

Original story:

A Wichita police motorcycle officer shot at a driver who was trying to crash into him Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Emergency crews were called to the area of Kellogg and Webb in east Wichita at around 3:15 p.m., Officer Charley Davidson said. A motorcycle unit officer on patrol had observed a wrong-way driver going westbound in the eastbound lanes of Kellogg.

The officer attempted to stop the vehicle, which then turned south off of Kellogg and drove into the Club Rodeo parking lot and behind the building, Davidson said.

The officer is familiar with the area, so he didn’t chase the vehicle behind Club Rodeo, Davidson said. He saw the vehicle continuing westbound in the area, and followed it as it continued onto Orme Street. The vehicle then went off-road.

The vehicle made a U-turn in a driveway off Orme, then “drove toward the officer, attempting to strike the motor unit officer,” Davidson said. The officer then shot his duty weapon twice at the vehicle and its driver.

The driver turned the vehicle away from the officer, and he got out of the vehicle and ran, police said. The driver is described as a white male, and police think he is still in the area. Police have taken possession of the vehicle.

The officer was not injured. It is not known if the driver was shot or if he had a weapon, police said.

Law enforcement officers set up a perimeter in the area as they look for the driver. A SWAT team has been called out to assist, as have a law enforcement drone and a Kansas Highway Patrol airplane. Police search dogs are also being used.

There are marked police cars stationed throughout the Harrison Park neighborhood, southeast of Kellogg and Webb.

Law enforcement vehicles have blocked northbound lanes of Webb at Lincoln.

Buildings in the area were not evacuated or placed on lockdown, police said.

This story was originally published November 27, 2018 at 5:12 PM.