Wichita police were targeted as they tear gassed protesters, chief says

Wichita police officers were targeted by gunfire as they cleared violent protesters with tear gas and other weapons, the police chief said.

What had been a peaceful protest Monday evening at 21st and Arkansas in north Wichita turned violent later in the night and into Tuesday morning, prompting police to declare it an unlawful assembly, Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said. They forced out the remaining protesters, who fought back by throwing rocks and other weapons.

The protest became “particularly harrowing and life-threatening” for officers, Ramsay said.

Police with riot gear — including Kevlar helmets, shields and batons — broke up the gathering. They fired tear gas, smoke rounds, flash grenades and foam bullets, he said.

“We’re not going to send these guys into where people are shooting without some type of protective equipment,” he said. “Now we didn’t know they (the SWAT team) would be targeted. That came as a shock to us and (is) very disheartening.”

Ramsay, who spoke at a Tuesday afternoon news conference, claims police were shot at, providing a photo of a banged up riot helmet as potential proof that officers were in danger.

“It is extremely rare for police to take gunfire during protests,” he said. “I mean, you just don’t hear about that happening.”

Two people were arrested, and three officers sustained minor injuries.

Protests across the United States have called for an end to police violence and justice for George Floyd, a Minnesota man who died after being pinned to the ground with a police officer’s knee on his neck for several minutes. The officer has been fired and charged with murder.

Some demonstrations have turned violent. Others have ended with massive property damage and looting.

The demonstration Monday night and Tuesday morning at 21st and Arkansas marks the first instance of property damage and violence in Wichita.

It grew in-part out of a failed attempt to shut down Kellogg traffic. Police broke up the 6 p.m. gathering, and the group returned to 21st and Arkansas at around 7 p.m., which was the site of a peaceful protest Sunday night.

Police blocked off vehicle traffic in the area, but foot traffic was allowed. A large police presence remained in the area throughout the night.

The protest was mostly peaceful for the next four and a half hours. According to social media recordings and police scanner communications, the protesters marched and chanted.

“No justice, no peace.”

“Hands up, don’t shoot.”

“I can’t breathe.”

“(Expletive) the system.”

At times, there were some threats of violence heard on social media videos. At one point, police reported a disturbance where a white man instigated a fight with protesters before leaving on his own.

As the evening wore on, fewer protest chants were heard. They were replaced by music and the sound of squealing tires as doughnuts and burnouts took place in the intersection. The peaceful demonstration at times was more like a block party and show of solidarity between Wichita’s north-side Latino and African American communities than a protest.

The gathering took a turn at around 11:30 p.m., when the Metro PCS store was vandalized. The glass windows were broken, but the store wasn’t looted. Social media videos showed protesters worked to stop the people who committed the vandalism.

At some point, gunshots began to ring out.

“There was active shots being fired,” Ramsay said. “That’s why we went in there, to create safety.”

Police declared it an unlawful assembly. Officer Charley Davidson said he did not know exactly when the gathering was declared unlawful, but it was due to the gunfire. He also did not know exactly when police broke up the protest.

“We don’t have an issue with peaceful protests,” Ramsay said. “But when property is damaged and shots ring out, it definitely raises our level as concern, as I’m sure it does (for) our community members. So to ensure the safety of people and property in that area, we moved in with officers to clear the unlawful assembly out.”

Police ordered people to leave. The majority did so peacefully. About 50-70 people stayed, defying the order.

“Those that remained were very hostile,” Ramsay said.

As the officers moved in, some protesters threw cinder blocks, rocks, bottles and other objects at police. Gunfire was directed at police and struck an armored vehicle. Police provided photos of one of the officer’s helmet, which had marks on it. Ramsay said they believe “a round that hit the officer’s head and ricocheted off this helmet” left the marks.

No officers were injured by the gunfire, though three were hurt by the debris thrown at them. Two needed stitches.

Ramsay said there were about 70-80 officers at the scene, though the number grew to more than 100 officers when other agencies came to assist.

Two people were arrested on suspicion of criminal discharge of a firearm, rioting and failure to disperse, though Ramsay said he anticipates more as the investigation is ongoing. Davidson said he did not have an estimate for how many more arrests there may be.

“We are going to hold people that were actively engaged in illegal behavior accountable for their actions,” Ramsay said, adding that they are looking for people who incited a riot and threatened or planned violence or looting.

The overnight response sparked rumors on social media that the National Guard was deployed to the area, but that wasn’t the case, said Jane Welch, spokesperson for the Kansas Adjutant General.

“We did not have any guardsmen on duty last night assisting with any demonstrations,” Welch said.

The department has about 80 body camera videos. It plans to release some of them on Facebook.

The Monday night protest was not organized by the same people who put together other non-violent protests over the weekend, Ramsay said. Those protests were supported by community leaders, including the police chief, mayor and a city council member.

“We’ve been allowing peaceful protests,” Ramsay said. “We’ve been facilitating it. We’ve been working so well with community leaders to make these things go well. And we’ll continue to do that.

“What happened last night doesn’t do our community any good. It doesn’t help anybody further any mission or make any valid points. It was extremely dangerous, and we’re just not going to tolerate that.

Ramsay called Monday’s protest “an organic gathering.”

“We have managed to avoid the major arrests and major property damage that has occurred in other cities because we have been working closely with our community members to ensure that these remain peaceful,” he said.

“What we saw at the end of last night was not the people that we have been working with. It was people that haven’t been at the table, they haven’t been engaged with us, they have no idea what the police department has been doing to build this goodwill. They showed up and they wanted a confrontation.”

Police are asking for tips to be called in to Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 or detectives at 316-268-4407. Videos can be submitted online at https://wichitapd.evidence.com/axon/citizen/public/20c032794.

This story was originally published June 2, 2020 at 1:43 PM.