Chief: Wichita officers find guns but no suspect after waiting outside house

Wichita police officers found dozens of firearms, body armor and a large amount of ammunition in the bedroom of a man wanted in connection with a shooting Thursday.

In a statement shared on Wichita Police Department social media pages Friday afternoon, police chief Joe Sullivan said officers found over 40 guns and the other items after searching a home near Harry and Southeast Boulevard in south Wichita after an hours-long standoff situation.

Wesley Roberts, who is suspected in the shooting that left a 49-year-old man injured, was still at large late Friday afternoon, according to a police department spokesman.

In a two-page statement, Sullivan said officers believed Roberts was inside a home on the 1500 block of Pattie, which led to what police thought was a standoff that lasted much of Thursday.

“Officers had credible information that the armed suspect had returned to a nearby residence and was refusing to come outside,” Sullivan said. “Although the suspect was not found inside the residence, that outcome does not mean the response was unnecessary.”

During the standoff, Sullivan said, an armored police vehicle struck a power pole near the home, which led to power being cut for close to 80 residents.

That was in an effort to knock down the home’s front door and introduce a drone to the home, Sullivan said. Police also used the department’s electronic canine in the home.

Police later coordinated to bring in an air-conditioned transit bus to temporarily house those who lost power.

“We understand that an operation of this size disrupts a neighborhood and creates concern for people who live nearby,” Sullivan said. “We appreciate the patience and cooperation of residents who evacuated, sheltered in place or temporarily lost power. Public safety requires us to balance urgency with restraint.”

Police said Thursday that they believed Roberts to possibly be armed. They asked anyone who might see him or know where he is to call 911.