Wichita police captain accused of shoving officer won’t be charged, DA says

A Wichita police captain who was accused of shoving an officer for leaving his patrol car running will not be charged.

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said there was “inconsistent evidence” that a shove occurred after a disagreement. The incident involved Capt. Ronald Hunt and Officer Branden Ho. Bennett said there also was a witness.

It’s illegal to leave an unattended vehicle running, but it’s a common practice. Some officers say it is necessary to keep the computer and other equipment from draining the battery.

The alleged incident happened June 1 at the Patrol North station, 3015 E. 21st St. The next day, the Police Department asked the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office to investigate what happened. The sheriff’s office spokesperson said they were told that there was no video of the incident.

Bennett then was given the evidence. He said the only issue he was asked to consider was whether misdemeanor battery happened. He declined to move forward with charges on June 14.

Hunt had been recently assigned to oversee Patrol North — his predecessor, Capt. Travis Easter, told the Citizen’s Review Board last month that he was being reassigned.

Hunt did not respond to multiple requests to comment; Ho declined.

A person who answered the phone at the north bureau on Thursday said Hunt had not been there and they were “not sure what’s going on.” After talking with someone else, they then said that he could be reached at the traffic bureau.

“That’s where he is working at for now,” the person said.

A call for Hunt at the traffic bureau Friday was rerouted to Capt. Jason Stephens, who said Hunt was off for two days.

Hunt has been with the department roughly 28 years; Ho nearly four.

Under police policy, the department’s professional standards bureau will also do its own investigation.