Former K-State researcher convicted of shooting Manhattan cop sentenced to prison

A former university researcher has been sentenced to prison after he was convicted of trying to kill a cop.

Mark Harrison, 38, of Manhattan, was sentenced Monday to 50 months in prison, the Riley County Police Department said in a news release. He previously pleaded no contest to attempted voluntary manslaughter in the shooting of police Sgt. Pat Tiede.

Harrison was previously found guilty of criminal damage to property in the Jan. 5, 2018, domestic dispute that turned into a police standoff with a barricaded subject. Police said Harrison surrendered after he fired 33 gunshots during the three-hour standoff at a home in the 3700 block of Hawthorne Woods Terrace. One bullet hit Tiede, who later recovered at a hospital.

“It is a serious matter whenever an officer is attacked and injured in the line of duty,” RCPD Director Dennis Butler said in a statement. “Sergeant Pat Tiede was ambushed and shot in the line of duty while trying to assist a family in crisis. I ask our citizens to pause and remember that police officers are here to serve you, to protect you, and to hold others who prey on you accountable for their actions.

“An attack on a police officer is an attack on you and your community. This should never be taken lightly — even when the officer survives and returns to duty. I am thankful that Sergeant Tiede’s family remains intact and that he has chosen to resume his service to the citizens of Riley County. Your continued support will ensure that Riley County remains a safe place to go to school, work and call home.”

Harrison earned a doctorate degree from Kansas State University, where he was a researcher in the mechanical and nuclear engineering department.

This story was originally published July 30, 2019 at 4:50 PM.