Wichita police identify man shot, injured after five-hour SWAT standoff Sunday

The man who was shot Sunday after a five-hour standoff with SWAT team officers remains in critical but stable condition at a Wichita hospital, police said Monday.

Travis B. Davis, 38, was struck once in the torso after firing “deliberate, intentional shots” at police and police vehicles from a backyard shed, Wichita police Captain Jason Stevens said at a Monday news conference.

Officers arrived at 400 West 45th Street North around 9 a.m. Sunday and learned that Davis had barricaded himself in a shed on a property owned by family members.

It was the second domestic disturbance call of the day associated with Davis, who was first reported taking an ax to car windows in the 4800 block of North Seneca on Sunday morning, Stevens said.

“When they arrived on the scene, they contacted witnesses who reported a family member, Travis Davis, arriving on a motorcycle and he was witnessed breaking windows on two vehicles at that location with an ax,” Stevens said.

Davis had left the scene by the time law enforcement arrived, Stevens said.

At 9:02 a.m., 911 dispatch received a call of a disturbance with a weapon at the 45th Street residence. Officers were dispatched.

“They learned that [Davis] had pointed a handgun and threatened a family member. He then went outside and they heard what they believed were gunshots and he again damaged two additional vehicles in the driveway of that location with an ax,” Stevens said.

The suspect then barricaded himself in a shed on his relatives’ property.

Police “made numerous attempts to establish contact” with Davis and get him to surrender, Stevens said.

“They attempted to establish telephone contact with him, as well as using a loudspeaker from a patrol car vehicle, both of which had no successful results.”

At one point, Stevens said, officers saw Davis standing in the open walk-in shed door, holding a handgun.

“At that time, they notified the Wichita Police Department negotiators at approximately 9:55 a.m. and requested their response to the scene so that they could use their expertise to further negotiations to get Mr. Davis to submit to arrest,” Stevens said.

Davis did not comply with requests or demands by law enforcement. He could be heard making verbal threats to the officers, shouting erratically and beating on doors and walls inside the shed, Stevens said.

SWAT team backup was requested, and officers began arriving just before noon.

“During the time that they were arriving on scene, Mr. Davis continued his erratic behavior and presented himself at the open door another time,” Stevens said. “One of the patrol officers that was still in what we would term the inner perimeter made the decision to deploy a less-than-lethal tactic and fired one beanbag round from a 12-gauge shotgun.”

Davis retreated back into the outbuilding and SWAT team members took over the inner perimeter. The suspect returned to the open doorway minutes later, still holding the handgun, Stevens said.

At 2:07, officers heard gunshots coming from within the shed. Police later identified five bullet holes in the door of the building.

“Then he opened the walk-in door several minutes after that and actually fired shots, deliberate, intentional shots, directly at the SWAT officers who were posted behind an armored vehicle,” Stevens said.

Two shots struck the windshield of a police vehicle, showering bullet fragments down on one of the officers. No officers were struck directly by the gunfire.

After retreating once more into the outbuilding and closing the door behind him, he re-emerged and was met by counter-fire.

“At that time, another SWAT officer fired one shot to prevent him from firing additional shots at the SWAT officers that were located nearby, striking him one time in the torso,” Stevens said.

The suspect fell, and Sedgwick County EMS moved in to administer emergency aid.

Police later recovered two handguns from the shed.

The officer who shot Davis, a 28-year veteran of the WPD, has been placed on paid leave while the officer-involved shooting is investigated, as is policy, Stevens said.

Davis was known to McPherson County law enforcement, where he had allegedly threatened two deputies in May, and was also suspected of discharging a firearm at a family member’s house, Stevens said.

On May 30, he was arrested in Park City on misdemeanor warrants, and on June 1, he was arrested by the McPherson County Sheriff’s Department for criminal threat, aggravated assault and criminal damage to property, Stevens said.

Stevens said Davis has undergone at least one surgery in the hospital and remains under police guard.

The case will be presented to District Attorney Marc Bennett.