10 Kansas officers fired during chase and shootout in downtown Topeka, official says
A 33-year-old man wanted in a fatal shooting, a woman in his car and an officer were shot Thursday during an incident that included a barrage of gunfire throughout downtown Topeka, according to Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Melissa Underwood.
The wounded officer had been treated and released when the Underwood sent out a news release late Thursday night. At the time of the release, the suspect, Eric D. Perkins, was in serious but stable condition and the 38-year-old woman in the car with him was hospitalized in good condition.
Thursday’s gunfight occurred during the chase throughout downtown and continued after Perkins crashed his car downtown, the KBI said.
“Perkins was struck and officers were able to take him into custody,” Underwood said. “A 38-year-old female passenger in the (Toyota) Corolla also sustained non-life threatening gunshot wounds during the incident. An officer from TPD was struck by one round, but fortunately his ballistic vest prevented him from being more seriously injured.”
Nine Topeka officers and one Shawnee County deputy fired during the incident, she said.
Police were first called to a shooting call around 9:30 a.m. in south Topeka. Police found one person fatally shot and another injured. That person was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition, Topeka Police Department chief Bryan Wheeles said during a news conference.
“Investigators with TPD quickly identified the suspect and began working to locate them,” the police department said in a news release. “The relationship between the suspect and the homicide victim was domestic in nature.”
Around 10:45 a.m., a Topeka officer spotted Perkins’ vehicle and a police chase started. Perkins is from Excelsior Springs, Missouri, Underwood said.
The news release doesn’t say how many shots were fired. During a news conference, Wheeles deferred a question about the number of shots fired to the KBI.
A photo from The Topeka Capital-Journal shows the Corolla wrecked on a curb with the front bumper up against a hydrant. The car was riddled with bullet holes.
