SEDGWICK COUNTY—— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a second deputy-involved shooting this week in Wichita.

Over the past two weeks through Intelligence Led Policing, deputies have identified a ring of people committing burglaries  according to Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter.

On Tuesday night, a deputy was observing a location where these individuals have been living or seen, according to Easter.  A white Ford F250 which had been seen at the location before came into the area.  The deputy observed the driver of the vehicle commit a traffic violation.

Just after 11:22 p.m., a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop the truck for a traffic violation near the intersection of Hydraulic and Scott.  The vehicle did not stop, and the deputy advised he was in pursuit of the vehicle.   

At 11:31p.m., the suspect vehicle ran over a tire deflation device at the intersection of Hydraulic and Clark.  The tire deflation device was deployed by an officer of the Wichita Police Department. 

The tire deflation was successful on two of the vehicle’s four tires.

At 11:32p.m. another Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Deputy performed a TVI (Tactical Vehicle Intervention), tactic in an attempt to end the pursuit.  The TVI brought the pursuit to a temporary stop. However, the suspect drove the opposite direction, according to Easter.

A deputy performed a second TVI tactic to stop the suspect but he continued to flee.

At 11:33p.m., the suspect vehicle drove towards a deputy who was on foot. 

At 11:34p.m., another Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Deputy  performed a TVI tactic to stop the vehicle.  The vehicle was stopped and a deputy positioned his patrol vehicle directly in front of the suspect’s vehicle.  The suspect vehicle proceeded to reverse direction and crashed into another deputy’s occupied patrol vehicle that had taken a position behind him.   After the suspect vehicle crashed into the patrol vehicle, it continued to attempt to flee. 

In an effort to prevent the suspect from continuing to use deadly force, the deputy fired five shots at truck’s windshield.

 The suspect identified as 35-year-old Jeremy E. Sanford was taken into custody and was transported to a local hospital for treatment of wounds to his head and shoulder, according to Easter.

Illicit drugs were a factor in this pursuit based upon evidence gathered at the scene.

No injuries were reported by any of the deputies involved.  The deputy who fired the shots is 43-years-old and has been a patrol deputy with the sheriff’s office for 10 ½ years.  He has a total of 19-years of law enforcement experience.

Sanford has been booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of Driving While Suspended, Aggravated Battery LEO intent with motor vehicle, Aggravated Battery LEO, Reckless Driving, Flee and Elude and a Warrant for Fail to Appear.

Sanford has previous convictions felony flee and attempt to elude law enforcement, driving at maximum speeds and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

By DAN MARGOLIES
Kansas News Service

The University of Kansas Hospital is one of 38 hospitals across the country challenging a rule cutting Medicare rates for outpatient hospital sites to match the lower rates paid to physicians’ offices.

Under the rule, which took effect Jan. 1, Medicare will pay the same rates for medical services regardless of whether they’re provided in a physician’s office or in a hospital department that’s off the main campus of the hospital.

In a lawsuit filed earlier this month in federal court in Washington, D.C., the hospitals claim the rule is unfair because medical services provided in hospital outpatient departments are far more resource-intensive, and therefore more costly, than those provided in independent physicians’ offices. The suit names Alex Azar II in his capacity as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The rule comes after Congress enacted a site-neutral payment policy in 2015. But Congress specifically made an exception for off-campus outpatient hospital departments that were providing services before Congress made the change. The hospitals say Azar didn’t think the change went far enough and overrode the protection Congress intended to provide them.

The rule “is irrational,” the hospitals allege in their lawsuit, “a patent misconstruction” of the law and “a blatant attempt to circumvent the will of Congress …” It says the reductions will cost hospitals $380 million in 2019 and $760 million in 2020, according to Azar’s forecast of the rule’s effect.

“Even prior to this rate cut, plaintiffs were under significant financial strain from steadily increasing costs in the healthcare marketplace and reimbursement cuts from the government and private insurers alike,” the hospitals allege.

The lawsuit mirrors one filed against Azar in December by the American Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges and three other hospitals. That lawsuit, also filed in the District of Columbia, challenges the Medicare rate cut as executive overreach.

The American Hospital Association says the rule ignores crucial differences between hospital outpatient departments and other sites. Citing a study it commissioned, it says patients getting care in hospital outpatient departments are more likely to be poorer and have more severe chronic conditions than those treated in independent physicians’ offices. And it notes that hospitals are held to higher regulatory standards because of the complexities of caring for sicker patients.

Dan Peters, general counsel for The University of Kansas Health System, said in an email that the system has “relied for years upon our Hospital off-campus departments to expand access to care and bring hospital services directly to our community, many of which are underserved by other providers.”

“Congress preserved their ability to do that work when it excepted hospital outpatient department from the changes contained in Section 603 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015.  But we believe the Secretary of DHHS overstepped his bounds when he took that away.  We are asking the court to reinstate the decision Congress made,” Peters said.

Although they didn’t join the lawsuit, other Kansas City-area hospitals, including Truman Medical Centers and Saint Luke’s, also weighed in with comments opposing the rule.

The Kansas Hospital Association, in a comment it filed to the rule, said the cuts “would be excessive and harmful” and would endanger the role off-campus hospital departments “play in their communities.”

Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor in conjunction with the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors will make their case Wednesday that there is a sufficient evidence for a suburban Kansas City man to be tried in the sexual assaults of three women during home break-ins.

18-year-old William Louis Elliott, of Overland Park, Kansas, is jailed on $75,000 bond on charges of rape, sodomy, sexual battery and burglary in the sexual assaults. Prosecutors say they happened within a few days of each other in September and October. Police in Shawnee and Overland Park investigated.

Details of the crimes are expected to be part of the testimony at the preliminary hearing.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Supporters and opponents of a proposed state constitutional amendment say it would effectively ban abortion in Kansas, although it would remain legal under federal law.

The amendment sponsored by 21 lawmakers would grant equal rights to every human starting from the time of fertilization.

The amendment was introduced in the Kansas House Monday. It comes as lawmakers are awaiting a state Supreme Court decision on whether the Kansas Constitution includes the right to an abortion.

Rep. Randy Garber, a Republican from Sabetha, says he supports the amendment because he believes life begins at conception.

Rachel Sweet, with Planned Parenthood Great Plains, says the legislation would outlaw abortion in all cases. She called the amendment a blatant attempt to eliminate a woman’s right to safe, legal abortion.

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SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man wanted on a U.S. Marshals Service drug warrant.

On Tuesday,  authorities arrested Dustin Dale Craft, 33, Salina, after he was found hiding in a bed in a  motel, according to Police Detective Sergeant David Villanueva

Police had received a tip that Kraft was hiding in the Red Carpet Inn, 222 E. Diamond Drive in Salina.

As officers were searching the room where Kraft supposedly was located, they noticed something odd about the bed, Villanueva said. Upon closer inspection, they found Kraft  naked  and between the mattress and box springs.

He said Kraft had broken out some of the slats in the box springs in order to try to hide. Kraft gave a false name, but was already known to police, according to Villanueva.

Police also found marijuana, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia in the room.

Kraft was arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony obstruction, and damage to property.

Kraft has three previous drug convictions, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.