Jail records identify Wichita man arrested on suspicion of assaulting police officer

Sedgwick County Jail records identify Brandon Richard Hanafin, 33, as the man taken into custody after a Wichita police motorcycle officer shot at a driver who officials said was trying to crash into him Tuesday afternoon.

Hanafin was booked into jail on suspicion of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer and other charges, including failure to appear, speeding, failure to carry or provide a driver’s license, no proof of insurance and failure to comply, jail records show.

On Tuesday, 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 patrol officer had followed 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 the 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 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.

Police said they took a man into custody around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday. A Wichita police search dog helped find the man in a field south of Orme Street around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Officer Charley Davidson said.

Davidson said he did not know at that time if the police officer’s shots had hit the man, but said that person did not have any serious injuries.

The officer was not injured, Davidson said.

This story was originally published November 28, 2018 at 9:03 AM.