SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue the investigation of Tuesday’s office involved shooting and have a third suspect in jail.

After his release from the hospital on Thursday afternoon, police booked 26-year-old James Stanford of Newton on charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery, flee and elude, and theft.

He was identified as the driver in a stolen white Jeep Wrangler where the driver attempted to run over a WPD officer at the McDonald’s located in the 2200 block of N. Amidon on Tuesday.

Stanford wrecked the vehicle in the 3000 block of N. Halstead and fled on foot. He was later apprehended in the area of E. 29^th St. North and N. Meridian Ave.

Stanford is the last suspect to be arrested in this case.  Zachary Ausdemore  was released from the hospital Wednesday and remains in custody. Daphne Dawn Hays was jailed immediately following the incident on Tuesday.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue the investigation of Tuesday’s office involved shooting and have another suspect in jail.

After his release from the hospital Wednesday afternoon, police booked 30-year-old Zachary Ausdemore for aggravated robbery and an outstanding warrant out of Nebraska, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.

He was identified as the passenger in a stolen white Jeep Wrangler where the driver attempted to run over a WPD officer at the McDonald’s located in the 2200 block of N. Amidon.

After the vehicle wrecked, Ausdemore then fled on foot and robbed an elderly couple of their Honda CR-V in the 2400 block of W. Stauffer.

He led officers on a lengthy vehicle pursuit, which ended in the area of 167th Street West and K-42.

Ausdemore was taken into custody after a brief foot pursuit.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting.

Just before 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to the area of W. 21st Street North and N. Amidon to check for a stolen vehicle, according to officer Paul Cruz.

The owner of a 1999 white Jeep SAW called 911 to report the location of the vehicle. The owner, along with a family member, followed the vehicle to the McDonald’s located in the 2200 block of North Amidon.

Officers arrived while the vehicle was at the drive-thru window and attempted to take the three occupants into custody.

The driver then accelerated and attempted to run over an officer. The officer fired his handgun multiple times at the vehicle. The suspect vehicle drove around the building and rear-ended a white Buick Century that was occupied by a 72-year-old woman driver. She was transported to a local hospital where she was treated for minor injuries, according to Cruz.

The suspect vehicle continued north on Amidon and into a residential area where it crashed into a tree in the 3000 block of N. Halstead. At that location, police took a 30-year-old woman passenger later identified as Daphne Hays into custody while the other suspects ran.

One of the man, a 30-year-old, ran to the 2400 block of W. Stauffer where he threatened an elderly couple and demanded the keys to their green Honda CR-V. The suspect left in their vehicle. The vehicle was located by Sheriff’s Deputies at I-235 and 25th, according to Cruz.

Daphne Dawn Hays photo Sedgwick Co.

Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to stop, and a vehicle pursuit ensued. The pursuit ended at 167th and K-42. The suspect was taken into custody without incident and was found to have an injury to his arm.

A 27-year-old suspect, who fled on foot at the initial crash scene on N. Halstead, was later located by officers near 29th and Meridian. The suspect was found to have a gunshot wound to his leg and was hospitalized for observation.

The two male suspects remained hospitalized Wednesday afternoon. Hays is in custody on requested charges of interference with law enforcement and a fugitive from justice, according to the Sedgwick County booking report.

The officer involved in the shooting has been with the department for almost 2-years, according to Cruz. He has been placed administrative leave per protocol.

Authorities have not released names of the two other suspects.

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BROWN COUNTY — Health officials and administrators with USD 415 in Hiawatha continue to see an elevated number of individuals presenting with pneumonia-like symptoms, according to a joint media release.

While it is currently unknown what is causing illness, the Hiawatha Community Hospital and USD 415 are working closely with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Brown County Health Department to investigate this cluster of illnesses.

Due to the sickness, the school district cancelled the Bonfire games/pep rally scheduled for Thursday.

Health officials asked that if you have a fever, please stay home until you have been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. If you have a fever of 100.4 or greater for 3 days with a cough, please see your medical provider.

An underlying respiratory condition, such as asthma, may make illness worse so consider seeing your medical provider soon after illness starts. KDHE does not recommend to exclude a person with a cough from school or school event. A cough could have many causes including asthma, allergies, or other respiratory illnesses and does not warrant isolation. If you only have a cough, it does not mean you are sick with this illness; however, if you are having severe coughing fits, it is recommended you stay home.

As a reminder, always practice healthy habits to prevent the spread of germs, especially when you are ill. Remember to:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. After using the tissue, throw it in the trash and wash your hands.

If a tissue is not available, please cough or sneeze into your sleeve at the elbow. Do not cough into your hands.

Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs spread this way.

Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A 22-year-old woman has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of her boyfriend in Kansas.

Gregoria Elizabeth Baez, who was convicted Thursday. She was charged with second-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old Felix Florez of Manhattan, who was a Geary County correctional officer, but the jury convicted her of the lesser charge.

Florez was shot in September 2018 at a home he shared with Baez. She claimed they were joking around and pulled guns on each other when she accidentally shot Florez.

She will be sentenced Nov. 12.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A Kansas man charged with having inappropriate contact with an 11-year-old girl waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday.

Donovan Hall, 29, entered a guilty plea to aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The contact occurred March 7 and again on July 21, 2018.

Even after the investigation began, he was still attempting to contact the child, according to statements in court.. That led to the family of the 11-year-old to seek a protection from abuse order against Hall. The charge against him is a level three felony with a maximum sentence of over 20 years in prison.

Sentencing will occur on Oct. 25 in front of Reno County District Judge Trish Rose.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY —Crime Stoppers of Wichita – Sedgwick County announced a campaign Thursday aimed at assisting law enforcement with the arrests of wanted persons with felony warrants in Sedgwick County, according to officer Kevin Wheeler.

The campaign called “Flip-A-Felon” will target specific known individuals who have warrants for
violent crimes and/or felony weapons warrants. This campaign is in collaboration with the
Wichita Police Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kansas Department of Corrections. Each agency has provided Crime Stoppers with a list of some of their most wanted
persons featured in this campaign.

“Crime Stoppers always looks for ways to partner with law enforcement to help solve crime and to help locate wanted individuals,” said Crime Stoppers Advisory Committee Chair Stacey
Kluge. “These campaigns have proved to be successful in the past, and we will assist in the best ways possible to help make our community safer.”

During the month-long campaign, Crime Stoppers will assist law enforcement in locating and arresting the wanted persons by providing anonymous tips that are sent to the program.

If they are arrested based off a tip through Crime Stoppers, the tipster is eligible for a cash reward starting at $500 and up to $2,500.
Tipsters should submit tips in one of three ways:  Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 316-267-2111,  Submit a tip by downloading the FREE P3 app; or Submit a tip online at www.wichitasedgwickcountycrimestoppers.com

MONTGOMERY COUNTY— One person died in an accident just before 12:30p.m. Thursday in Montgomery County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 International Straight Truck driven by Taylor Lee Edwards, 20, Independence, was eastbound on U.S. 160 two miles east of U.S. 75.

The truck’s tire blew out. The truck traveled into the west bound lane, into the ditch, rolled multiple times and the occupants were ejected.

Edwards was pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported a passenger Marty Ray Brown, 52, Independence, to Freeman Hospital. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN

The federal Bureau of Prisons will provide opioid addiction treatment for a prisoner at the Leavenworth penitentiary, according to a settlement reached Wednesday.

With the help of the medication, Crews had not used drugs for 15 months prior to entering Leavenworth.

An ACLU press release said Crews and the Bureau of Prisons reached a settlement agreement in which Crews would start getting buprenorphine on Wednesday evening.

“When he was deprived of medication for the last week, until we were able to reach this agreement with the Bureau of Prisons, he’d been suffering tremendously,” said Lauren Bonds, legal director of the ACLU of Kansas. “He’s dealt with withdrawal from the medication he was receiving, so it’s very important for our client’s health.”

The ACLU had argued that denying inmates access to buprenorphine treatment is a violation of the 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which forbids cruel and unusual punishment. The group also contended a denial ran afoul of the Rehabilitation Act, which bans federal programs from discriminating against people with disabilities.

The settlement does not address treatment for other inmates in the federal system. The ACLU said in the release that it’ll pursue lawsuits in the future to get other prisoners access to opioid treatment.

Bonds said in a phone interview that ultimately, the organization will push for a change in the Bureau of Prisons’ policy,

“Then we wouldn’t have to deal with this on such an ad hoc, case-by-case basis,” she said. “It would just ensure everyone who needs this medication is just getting it.”

Bureau of Prisons officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday afternoon.

The suit alleged that the agency denied Crews access to buprenorphine as part of a policy to only give inmates the medication while they are detoxing and to wean them off the medication after several days.

That lawsuit said Crews is recovering from a decade-long addiction to opioids following a car accident and had been taking buprenorphine throughout his recovery.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ latest data from 2004, about half of the people incarcerated in federal prisons had symptoms of substance abuse or dependency.

Nomin Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for the Kansas News Service.  Follow her on Twitter @NominUJ or email nomin (at) kcur (dot) org.

DAWSON COUNTY, Neb. — Law enforcement authorities are investigating four suspects after a traffic stop on Wednesday.

At approximately 7:45 a.m., a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol observed a Hyundai Sonata traveling eastbound at 98 miles per hour on Interstate 80 near North Platte, according to a media release.

The trooper performed a traffic stop and detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.

Troopers searched the vehicle and located 3 pounds of marijuana, 39 THC vape cartridges, 59 grams of THC edibles, 2000 mg of THC syrup, and drug paraphernalia.

The driver, Eric Robinson, 19, and passengers, Anthony Davis, 22, and Amere Thomas, 21, all of New York state, were arrested for possession of marijuana – more than one pound, possession with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, and no drug tax stamp. All three were lodged in Lincoln County Jail.

Later Wednesday, at approximately 7:30 p.m., a trooper observed a Ford Transit fail to signal a turn at the I-80 exit at mile marker 231 near Darr. During the traffic stop, a K9 from the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office detected the odor of a controlled substance coming from inside the van.

A search of the van revealed 198 pounds of marijuana, 800 dosage units of THC edibles, 79 THC vape cartridges, 18 ounces of psilocybin mushrooms, 2 vials of anabolic steroids, 1 vial of human growth hormone, and a loaded handgun.

The driver, Brent Lorenz, 50, of Fargo, North Dakota, was arrested for numerous drug charges, including possession of marijuana – more than one pound, possession of controlled substances, possession with intent to deliver, possession of a firearm during a felony drug violation, and no drug tax stamp. Lorenz was lodged in Dawson County Jail.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —The woman who set fire to a tattoo parlor in Wichita was sentenced Wednesday in Sedgwick County District Court.

Judge Kevin O’Connor sentenced Cassie Grover, 37 of Wichita, to 24 months of probation with an underlying sentence of 17 months in prison, according to District Attorney Marc Bennett.

If she violates her probation, Judge O’Connor said she will serve the 17 months.

This was a presumptive probation case under the Kansas sentencing guidelines based on the severity level of the crime and the woman’s criminal history.  Judge O’Connor also ordered her to pay $90,500 in restitution.

On July 12th, Grover pled no contest to a charge of aggravated arson following the fire last March that severely damaged Idle Hands Tattoo, 929 W.Douglas in Wichita.

Judge O’Connor ordered Grover to pay $15,000 to the two women who co-own the building and $75,000 to the insurance company.

The $15,000 covers the insurance deductible. Judge O’Connor also ordered that Grover have no contact with any of the employees or owner of Idle Hands Tattoo and to stay away from the business.

GARDEN CITY – A southwest Kansas ophthalmologist announced his candidacy Thursday for the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican in Kansas First Congressional District.

Dr. Bill Clifford is an Air Force Veteran and small business owner based in Garden City.

He joins former Kansas Lt. Governor Tracey Mann and former elementary school teacher Kali Barnett who have announced plans to run for the state’s First District seat in Congress.

In a media release, Clifford said, “Like most Kansans, I am appalled at what is happening in Washington today. After much consideration, I am compelled to represent the people of Kansas,”

Clifford said he would stand with President Trump and represent the conservative values of the Big First Congressional District. He pledged to defend Second Amendment rights, support the Right to Life, advocate for farmers and ranchers, and work to secure the borders.

Clifford is co-owner of Fry Eye Associates in Garden City. A 1976 graduate of the Air Force Academy, he flew the F-15 jet fighter in the Air Force for four years. He attended the University of Southern California Medical School from 1985 to 1989 and completed Eye Surgery Residency and Fellowship Training in Glaucoma and Cornea at the University of Oklahoma.

After a year at the King Khaled Eye Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he joined Dr. Luther Fry in the practice of ophthalmology. He is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a member-at- large of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Board of Trustees.

Dr. Clifford and his wife of 37 years, Jean, both have held elected offices for more than a dozen years. Dr. Clifford was elected three times to the Garden City Community College Board of Trustees and is currently serving his fifth year on the Finney County Commission, which he chairs.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A mother has testified in the trial of a suspended Kansas priest charged with molesting her daughter that she was raised to hold priests in high regard and didn’t know how to respond when she became concerned.

The mother said Wednesday that she waited months to come forward after seeing the Rev. Scott Kallal chase her daughter into the bathroom of Kansas City, Kansas, church, go in after her and carry her out.

The mother testified that said she didn’t see him touch her daughter’s breast, as the girl later reported, and feared her concerns would be “swept under the rug.” Her daughter also says Kallal touched her inappropriately at a graduation party earlier in 2015. She was 10 at the time.

Kallal is being tried on two felony counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. He’s pleaded not guilty.