Wichita poised to approve another settlement involving a police officer crash

The city of Wichita is prepared to pay a $39,000 settlement as a result of a crash involving a Wichita Police officer in January 2023.

The Wichita City Council will vote on whether to approve the settlement at its Tuesday meeting. The settlement is on the consent agenda, meaning discussion on the item is unlikely unless a council member were to pull it.

The collision happened on Jan. 29, 2023, when then 21-year-old Kiera Evans was driving south on Mosley with her then 9-month-old son when Wichita Police Officer Mario Ocon was driving west on 13th Street with lights and sirens activated and struck her vehicle.

Another officer was in Ocon’s vehicle at the time, and the Wichita Police Department reported all four had minor injuries as a result of the crash.

A lawsuit filed by Evans in 2025 alleges that Ocon acted in a reckless and negligent manner when he struck her vehicle.

The city denied the claims in a response filing to the lawsuit. The city is also not admitting fault as part of the settlement, but is recommending the settlement’s approval “due to the uncertainty and risk of an adverse judgment at trial.”

Last week, the Wichita City Council approved a $500,000 settlement also involving a Wichita Police officer. The lawsuit alleges the officer rear-ended a motorized scooter carrying two people in November 2024.