Man killed outside O’Reilly Auto Parts store in KCK identified
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kansas City, Kansas, police have identified the man killed Tuesday night outside an O’Reilly Auto Parts store.
Police said 23-year-old Diamond Steen, of Kansas City, Missouri, died after a “physical altercation” with employees outside the store near N. 47th Street and Parallel Parkway.
Officials said the deadly incident began when two men in their 20’s walked into the O’Reilly Auto Parts store and allegedly stole something. KCK Police Chief Karl Oakman said it was some type of car maintenance fluid.
Oakman said the manager told the alleged thieves to stop, and they didn’t.
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Once outside, the manager confronted one of the men and the they got into a fight, which Oakman said led to the manager allegedly killing one of the shoplifters. The police chief said there was no weapon involved, just hand-to-hand fighting.
“At this point, what we do know, based on the evidence that we have right now, that there may have been some issue with the manager choking the shoplifter,” Oakman said Wednesday.
When officers arrived, they attempted CPR on the man, now identified as Steen, but he was pronounced dead. Emergency workers took the second man to a hospital with minor injuries.
Oakman said the store manager was arrested for voluntary manslaughter. Formal charges have not been filed at this point.
O’Reilly Auto Parts said in a statement to FOX4: “O’Reilly Auto Parts is deeply disturbed by the events, death and injuries that occurred at our store in Kansas City, Kansas. We are cooperating fully with the police investigation.”
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Oakman said Wednesday that his department is frustrated by theft in general, but he wants people to call police. They don’t want people to take the law into their own hands.
“On simple matters like shoplifting, tell the individual to stop. They don’t stop, call police,” Oakman said. “Don’t get in the middle of it because when you get in the middle of situations, we take minor shoplifting and turn it into an individual who is now dead.”
