A sheriff’s deputy in Kansas lost his life while on duty on Saturday afternoon while responding to a call at a residence.
Deputy Elijah Ming, aged 34, was fatally shot by a man who barricaded himself inside the home and started shooting, as per a media release from the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office. The deputies had initially responded to a call for a civil standby.
Ming, who had been with the agency for nearly nine years, was rushed to a hospital but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.
Approximately one and a half hours after the authorities, including the Kansas City police department, arrived at the scene, the suspect came out of the house and was subsequently apprehended.
The suspect was identified as Shawn Harris, 38, of Kansas City, Kansas, according to local reports.
“Our thoughts, sympathy, and deepest condolences are with Deputy Ming’s family, friends, and the entire Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office,” stated a post on the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City KS Facebook page, which also shared a photo of the fallen deputy.
Sheriff Daniel Soptic urged for respect towards Ming’s family and requested prayers for them, the department, and the community during a press briefing on Saturday evening.
Mayor Tyrone Garner of Wyandotte mentioned meeting with Ming’s wife and other family members at the hospital.
“There are no words or comfort that can ever ease the pain of losing someone you love to senseless violence,” he expressed.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating the incident.
