Maize police officer shoots and injures suspect; fragment hits another officer in hand
A Maize police officer and a 41-year-old man were injured in a shooting Monday afternoon near the Menard’s in northwest Wichita.
The incident was reported at about 1:43 p.m. in the 3600 block of N. Maize Road when Wichita police officers responded to a suspicious-character shoplift call at the Menard’s. Maize police officers responded as well, Maize Police Chief Jeff Weible said.
Officers searched the area after the man reportedly left the store. A Maize police officer saw the man get into a sewer drain between an oil change service business and a Club Car Wash on Maize on Road, Weible said.
“As officers were making contact, the suspect indicated that he had gun,” Weible said. “As they were getting the suspect out of the drain to take him into custody, the suspect made a very quick move ... officer fired shots striking the suspect.”
A Maize police officer fired the shots. A fragment from those shots struck another officer in the hand, according to Weible.
Both the man and the officer were treated at the scene. The man was taken to a hospital with serious injuries but is in stable condition. The Maize officer was in “good condition” being checked out at the hospital, police said.
It is not known if the man had a gun; authorities have not recovered a weapon at the scene, Weible said.
“There was no shots fired by the suspect,” Weible added. “I still have not confirmed what was in his hand.”
The Wichita Police Department is leading the investigation into the shooting, department spokesperson Lt. Aaron Moses said.
Some Maize schools were placed on a “modified lockdown” after the shooting, meaning students and teachers were being kept indoors and no one was allowed to enter or leave the buildings — although they were “not believed to be in danger,” Maize School District spokesperson Lori Buselt said.
That was lifted “following guidance from law enforcement that there is no imminent danger,” according to emails sent to parents.
The temporary lockdown included Maize South High School, Maize South Middle School, Maize South Intermediate School, Maize South Elementary School, and the Maize Early Childhood Center.
The district asked parents to avoid Maize Road while picking up students Monday afternoon due to increased traffic in the area related to the shooting. Schools were to dismiss at the usual time, the district said.
This story was originally published November 6, 2023 at 2:37 PM.
