More details after inmate throws pot of boiling water on deputy at Kansas jail

A 30-year-old Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office jail deputy remains hospitalized after an inmate threw a pot of boiling water on him, sheriff’s office spokesperson Branden Stitt said in a news release Tuesday that provided more details about the Monday evening attack.

The deputy has second- and third-degree burns on the back of his body and is expected to make a full recovery. He has been with the sheriff’s office two years.

“Inmates have traditionally had access to hot water for preparing coffee, tea, and food items like ramen noodles,” Stitt said. “The Sheriff’s Office is now reviewing that policy.”

The deputy was “speaking with inmates in a housing pod” around 7:15 p.m. when the 20-year-old Wichita man “obtained a pot of boiling water and threw it on the deputy,” Stitt said.

“The deputy was still able to secure the inmate while additional deputies came to his aid,” Stitt said. “The reason for the attack isn’t immediately clear and detectives are working to interview other inmates that were being housed in the same pod.”

The inmate has 39 disciplinary incidents since getting to the jail in March 2024 related to a 2022 attempted rape case from when he was a juvenile and then was charged with trafficking contraband into the jail, Stitt said. Court records show he has been sentenced in the attempted rape case, but don’t say what his sentence is.

He now faces a charge of aggravated battery on an officer.

“Our office remains committed to the safety of our employees,” Sheriff Jeff Easter said in the news release. “We are in close contact with the deputy and his family, and we are praying for his speedy recovery. This type of violence will not be tolerated.”

This story was originally published April 15, 2025 at 2:21 PM.