Man’s reason for ramming fence, patrol cars at Koch house still unclear, police say
A Wichita police spokesman said Wednesday that investigators still aren’t sure why a 40-year-old man who drove through security fencing on Koch family-owned property Tuesday night and hurt an officer who was there — but did say drugs may have influenced his actions.
Police say the man, Aron White of Wichita, intentionally rammed through a $20,000 metal security gate blocking off the entrance to a house that reportedly belongs to the son of Wichita billionaire businessman Charles Koch, damaged about $10,000 worth of landscaping and hit a Wichita police officer’s patrol vehicle while the officer was inside. White also struck a private security vehicle, reportedly from Koch Industries, with his 2018 Mercedes Benz and slammed into a tree on the property before he was arrested, Wichita police spokesman Officer Charley Davidson said.
It remains unclear what White’s motivations were, Davidson said during a news briefing, adding that the investigation is still ongoing. But asked whether the 40-year-old appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or any illegal substance, he said, “we do believe drugs are possibly involved.”
The Koch-owned property is located in the 2000 block of North Greenwich, according to police reports. Records show that Chase Koch, Charles Koch’s son, lives at the address there.
A Koch Industries spokesman, Rob Carlton, in a written statement provided to The Eagle on Tuesday night thanked authorities for their work but said he wouldn’t comment further while the investigation is ongoing. He didn’t have anything to add Wednesday morning.
White is being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on suspicion of committing an aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer, destroying property, trespassing, possessing drug paraphernalia and unlawfully restraining a 58-year-old man who was in the passenger seat of the Mercedes. No one picked up when The Eagle called a phone number associated with White on Wednesday morning and a message left wasn’t immediately returned.
The 58-year-old man — identified in police and jail records as Daniel Joseph Moore — was booked for outstanding warrants unconnected to Tuesday’s events, Davidson said.
Police say a security guard at the Koch property called 911 at around 7:30 p.m. to report two suspicious people in a silver Mercedes Benz hanging around a security gate that closed the entrance to the property. The guard pulled his vehicle behind the Mercedes, blocking it in. While police were headed that way, White allegedly put his Mercedes in reverse and rammed into the guard’s vehicle.
Officers talked to White when they arrived, Davidson said. But that apparently didn’t solve the issue.
After the conversation, White allegedly put the car in drive, rammed through the security gate and drove east through the lawn, destroying grass, dirt and shrubs in his path. Eventually he turned the car back toward the police and security vehicles and crashed into the front passenger side of the patrol car. Davidson said he stopped when the Mercedes hit a tree.
The collision with the police patrol car hurt the left hand and arm of the officer who was inside, but he’s expected to be OK. He didn’t have any broken bones, Davidson said Wednesday.
Neither White nor Moore have a known connection to the Koch property nor do they live in the area, Davidson said.
Police plan to present the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for possible criminal charges, he said.
This story was originally published January 16, 2019 at 12:03 PM.
