South Wichita standoff involved man who refused to get out of U-Haul truck, police say
Updated 3:15 p.m.: Wichita police spokesman Officer Paul Cruz said Monday’s standoff with the man in the U-Haul truck ended peacefully after he got out of the vehicle and was taken down by a police dog.
The man will receive treatment at a Wichita hospital for minor injuries inflicted by the K-9 before being taken to the Sedgwick County Jail, where he’s expected to be booked on suspicion of committing several crimes, Cruz said. He did not immediately release the man’s name.
He was arrested mid-afternoon Monday.
The standoff began after the man allegedly broke into a business near Broadway and Harry around 8 a.m. Monday, stole keys and got into a U-Haul, police said. He spent the morning and early afternoon refusing police orders to get out of the truck, and taunted officers by revving its engine and driving around the business’ fenced-in parking lot.
Cruz said police think the man may have been using “some sort of narcotics” during the standoff.
It’s unclear why the man targeted the business or whether he has any ties to it, Cruz said.
Original story: Wichita police spent Monday morning trying to coax a man out of a U-Haul truck he commandeered after reportedly breaking into a south side business.
Wichita police spokesman Paul Cruz said late Monday morning that so far officers haven’t been successful convincing him to step out of the truck.
“He’ll honk at officers (and) move the car back and forth” but won’t follow orders to come out, Cruz told news media monitoring the standoff, in the area of Broadway and Harry streets.
Cruz said the man broke into the business where the U-Haul was parked early Monday morning by busting out window glass in the front door. He took keys and got into one of the trucks, Cruz said.
Officers have been trying to convince him to give up since they arrived at the scene, Cruz said.
Late Monday morning, authorities could be heard over a loud speaker, pleading with the man to roll down the window of the U-Haul and talk. The truck is in a fenced-in parking lot.
Video from the scene shows the man sometimes revving the truck engine and pulling forward and backing up in the lot. Sometimes he rolls down the window and points toward where officers are standing. He has a pair of glasses pushed up on his forehead and appears to be smoking a cigarette.
So far no one has been hurt. It’s unknown whether the man is armed.
Cruz said for now, police officers will continue to try to coax him out instead of forcing him to leave the truck because “time is on our side.”
This is a developing news situation. Check Kansas.com later for more updates as they become available.
This story was originally published December 6, 2021 at 12:00 PM.
