KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The fatal shooting of a Kansas City, Kansas, police officer was not part of a planned ambush, but the work of someone trying to evade arrest, authorities said Wednesday.
Police Chief Terry Zeigler said during a news conference that authorities have two young men in custody, but declined to give details about possible charges. The department is working with prosecutors and planned to present the case to them “hopefully later today,” Zeigler said.
While the attack isn’t part of the recent string of shootings of police in the U.S., Zeigler said the hate against police has got to stop.
“The crime does not fit the national narrative of planned attacks against law enforcement officers, but it does fit the narrative fact that words matter. The anti-hate speech has got to stop because the consequences are real,” the chief said.
Capt. Robert Melton was by himself searching for a suspect in a drive-by shooting when he drove up to someone who matched that person’s description just before 2 p.m. Tuesday. Before the 46-year-old could get out of his vehicle, he was shot several times through his passenger-side window, the chief said, adding that the department was reviewing its procedures.