SEDGWICK COUNTY —The Wichita Police Department (WPD) has identified the man fatally wounded in an officer involved shooting on January 10, as 29-year-old Geoffrey Morris of Wichita. Morris died of his injuries on Saturday, according to officer Charley Davidson.
Just after 1 p.m. that day two police officers and a Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) employee working with the enforcement apprehension unit, attempted to arrest Morris in the parking lot of the Sedgwick County Corrections Office, 905 N. Main. The officers knew Morris to be armed and dangerous.
Multiple warrants existed for Morris including for three counts of aggravated robbery, aggravated battery; intentional bodily harm with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault; use of a deadly weapon. The second for aggravated assault; use of a deadly weapon and attempted theft of property or services.
Morris also had traffic warrants out of Newton and Wichita. In one case, Morris pointed a handgun and threatened loss prevention employees to avoid apprehension. In another case, Morris entered a home armed with a handgun along with other armed suspects. Morris and the other suspects battered three males in the home and a shot was fired. Property was stolen and they and fled.
The officers made multiple previous attempts to have Morris turn himself in peacefully. The officers were conducting follow-up on Morris and believed he may arrive at approximately 1 p.m. at the Sedgwick County Corrections Office with his 26-year-old girlfriend.
The Officers observed Morris arrive driving a red 2008 Ford Focus and park in a parking stall. His girlfriend exited the vehicle and entered the Corrections Office. The KDOC employee pulled behind the suspect vehicle and the two WPD Officers parked an unmarked vehicle and approached the front of the vehicle. The officers drew their handguns and gave verbal instructions for Morris to exit the vehicle.
Morris refused to exit the vehicle, reversed the vehicle forcefully ramming the KDOC vehicle and then pulled forward turning toward a WPD officer on the driver’s side of the vehicle, almost striking him. The two WPD officers fired multiple shots toward the suspect vehicle, striking Morris multiple times.
Morris drove the vehicle over a parking block, into a metal pole in the parking lot, into a concrete pillar, crossed Main Street and struck a concrete fence on the east side of Main. Morris was transported to an area hospital in critical condition for medical treatment. A WPD officer received minor injuries to his arm while removing Morris from the vehicle, after the crash. Morris was in possession of a handgun, and officers determined the tag on the Focus was reported stolen in Sedgwick County.
The WPD officer’s involved are a 13-year-veteran and a 5-year-veteran of the department. Both officers are part of the WPD Violent Crimes Task Force, focusing on arresting the most violent offenders. The continued proactive work of this task force has helped reduce shootings in Wichita and keep citizens safe. Both officers have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings.