No charges for police officer who shot, killed man outside southeast Wichita home
A police officer will not be charged in the December 2023 fatal shooting of a man who raised his gun at officers in front of a southeast Wichita home.
The shooting occurred at 2:43 p.m. Dec. 3 at a home in the 4200 block of East Gilbert. Daniel Stowe, 50, of Wichita, died from his injuries after being taken to a hospital, The Eagle reported.
The officer who fired the round that killed Stowe fired a total of four rounds, with one striking Stowe in the chest, according to a detailed report from the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
The officer will not face criminal charges, District Attorney Marc Bennett said Thursday.
“I made a determination that there are no charges to be filed against the officer who fired the weapon,” Bennett told reporters during a Zoom meeting. “She reacted to his effort, and when he pulled the weapon after bring directed not to and then pointed it at one of her fellow officers when directed not to, she responded.”
Bennett added: “I find that is not a chargeable offense under the laws of the state of Kansas.”
Investigators learned that Stowe had sent messages to his estranged wife indicating “he intended to act in a manner that would case officers to shoot him and end his life,” the report said.
The report gave this account of the shooting:
Officers were called at 2:16 p.m. to a domestic violence call at the home. The mother of Stowe’s estranged wife had called 911 to report that Stowe was outside making suicidal statements.
The woman said her daughter had been staying with her when Stowe came to the home uninvited. He sent his estranged wife a text at 1:23 p.m. that read “Just call the police. Let them finish this one and all.”
Four officers arrived at the home at 2:40 p.m. One officer went inside to talk to the women and the other three spoke with Stowe, who was standing out in the street in front of the home.
Officers learned that Stowe was known to carry firearms and attempted to pat him down. He refused and stepped back, putting his right hand on his hip. One officer yelled “don’t reach” and pulled out a service weapon, pointing it at Stowe.
Stowe ignored multiple verbal commands from officers to stop reaching and to put his hands up.
At 2:43 p.m., Stowe raised a gun and pointed it directly at one of the officers. Another officer fired her handgun four times, striking Stowe in the chest.
Stowe fell to the ground and EMS was called, arriving at 2:48 p.m. Stowe was taken to a hospital, where he died at 3:07 p.m.
The Wichita Police Department officer had been with the department for five years at the time she shot and killed Stowe.
An autopsy report said Stowe died from a single gunshot wound to his chest.