By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN
Kansas News Service

Kansans reported more sexual assaults, domestic violence and stalking to the police in 2018, according to a report from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Compared to the previous year, it’s a 6% increase in domestic violence incidents, a 9% increase in rapes and a 27% increase in stalking incidents.

But the numbers don’t necessarily reflect an increase in those crimes being committed, KBI spokeswoman Melissa Underwood said.

“The statistics ONLY encompass crimes that are reported to law enforcement,” Underwood said in an email. “Crimes of domestic violence and sexual assault are underreported.”

There are many reasons people who experience sexual and domestic violence may not go to the police, said Valerie Guile, a therapist and advocate at Safehome, a domestic violence organization in Johnson County. Survivors may not trust law enforcement or may be scared their abuser will retaliate.

“They may fear not being believed,” Guile said, “or that if they reach out for help, nothing will happen to the abuser and they will punish the survivor.”

The 2018 statistics might also show more survivors are willing to come forward due to the “Me Too” movement, said Michelle McCormick, director of the Center for Safety and Empowerment at the YWCA in Topeka. In the same year, her organization saw more people take advantage of its sexual and domestic violence services.

“In many ways that’s a good thing that people are reaching out,” McCormick said. “I think that more people are finding their way to support services.”

Gun violence

The KBI compiled the statistics from hundreds of state, county, city and tribal law enforcement agencies.

There were 37 domestic violence homicides in Kansas in 2018, according to the report. Twenty-six of those deaths — about 70% — involved guns.

Nationwide, pro-gun control activists have argued that there is a link between guns and domestic violence. Over half of women killed by intimate partners are fatally shot, according to research conducted by anti-gun group Everytown for Gun Safety.

Even if a gun sn’t being used to hurt or kill someone, it can be used to threaten or intimidate.

And just having a gun in the home is a risk factor for an abuser potentially killing a partner or family member, Guile said. If a victim attempts to leave, the situation can turn violent.

“We know that that is one of the most dangerous times,” Guile said. “When an abuser begins to feel they’re losing that control, that risk for homicide heightens.”

Kansas has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the country. But in 2017, the state passed a law that bans people from owning firearms if they were convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors in the past five years or if they have a court order barring them from stalking or harassing a partner or child.

The legislation was intended to bring state statutes in line with federal domestic violence laws.

But enforcing the law can be difficult, McCormick said, and the burden is often on the victim to tell the police that their partner has a gun.

“There’s that challenge of actually getting folks to relinquish their access to the firearms,” she said. We’re putting too much pressure, once again, on the person who’s most vulnerable in this situation.”

Nomin Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for the Kansas News Service.  Follow her on Twitter @NominUJ or email [email protected]. 

The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on the health and well-being of Kansans, their communities and civic life. 

LAWRENCE —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in Lawrence.

Just after 2.am., police responded to multiple 911 calls in reference to a shooting at Playerz Sports Bar, 1910 Haskell Avenue in Lawrence, according to Police Department spokesman Patrick Compton.

Officers learned that a shooting had occurred in the parking lot of the bar resulting in serious, but non-life-threatening injuries to both a man and a woman.

Police located the suspect vehicle shortly after and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The suspect tried to evade police, but eventually stopped in the vicinity of E. 23^rd St. and O’Connell Road.

The suspect was discovered by police in his vehicle with serious, life-threatening injuries from what appeared to be a gunshot wound and was transported to an area hospital.

Police temporarily closed 23rd Street from Harper to East Hills Drive to traffic as a result of this investigation. They reopened 23rd Street just after 8:30a.m. Sunday.
Police have not released names of the victims or additional details.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kanas felon and a passenger in his vehicle on charges after a traffic stop.

On Friday, a deputy from the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop for a registration violation near SW 37th and S.Topeka Boulevard, according to St. Todd Stallbaumer.

During the investigation, the driver, identified as Edgar B. Branch IV, 47, of Oskaloosa, was arrested booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Possession of methamphetamine and other misdemeanor traffic violations.

He has previous convictions for theft, burglary, aggravated robbery and flee and elude, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

A passenger in the vehicle, identified as Staci A. Stahlheber, 38, of Topeka, was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for an outstanding Shawnee County warrant as well as requested charges Criminal use of a weapon, Possession of methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia, according to Stallbaumer.

RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in Hutchinson and have made an arrest.

Just before 5:30p.m. Saturday,  police were dispatched to 17th and Ring Road in Hutchinson reference to a shooting, according to a media release.

Officers contacted Darin Rodriguez, 54,  Hutchinson who had a gunshot wound to his groin. The detectives’ investigation revealed that an argument took place between Rodriguez and the occupants of another car while they were both stopped in traffic on Ring Road just south of 17th Avenue.

Rodriguez exited the passenger side on a vehicle he was riding in. He left his door open as he confronted the occupants of the other vehicle. A rear seat passenger in the other vehicle identified as Deante Jones, 20,  Kansas City, discharged a firearm one time striking Rodriguez in the groin.

The bullet went through the open door of the vehicle Rodriguez got out of, ricocheted off the interior and struck the driver Paula Thomas, 74 of Hutchinson on her upper right leg.

Thomas received a graze from the bullet. Rodriguez and Thomas were both transported to the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center where they were treated and released.  Police arrested Deante Jones on requested charges of Aggravated Battery and he is being held on a $20,000 bond.

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A former Lawrence police officer convicted of threatening another driver with a gun on a suburban Kansas City highway in a case of road rage has lost his peace officer’s license.

The license for 53-year-old Jeffrey Brian Holtzman was revoked last month.

Holtzman was sentenced in August to 12 months’ probation for the October 2018 incident. He pleaded guilty in June to a reduced charge of criminal threat.

The victim told police that he was driving on Interstate 435 near Interstate 35 when he honked at Holtzman for suddenly slowing down. The victim says Holtzman then pulled alongside him and pointed a handgun at him and his passenger.

Holtzman resigned from the Lawrence Police Department the following month.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before midnight Friday in Sedgwick County.

A Buick LeSabre driven by a 59-year-old man was eastbound on East Mt. Vernon at Bluff, according to office Kevin Wheeler. The vehicle left the road and struck a utility pole.

The  driver was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated by the Wichita Fire Department. He was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no other occupants in the vehicle, and no other vehicles were involved in the collision, according to Wheeler. The accident remains under investigation. Wheeler did not release the driver’s name.

 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Minimum-custody inmate Kyle Ingels who was placed on escape status at  Tuesday evening after he walked away from the Wichita Work Release Facility is back in custody, according Randall Bowman with the Kansas Department of Corrections. The KDOC Enforcement, Apprehensions and Investigation unit located him at 11 a.m. Saturday.

On Friday, the Kansas Department of Corrections offered a reward to help locate Ingels. 

Ingels is currently serving a 60-month sentence for several convictions in Neosho County including theft, forgery, drug possession, and endangerment of a child. Engels had a prior drug conviction from Neosho County in 2007.

The KDOC has not released further details on his capture.

——-

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Minimum-custody inmate Kyle Ingels was placed on escape status at approximately 6:48 p.m., Tuesday, after he walked away from the Wichita Work Release Facility, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Ingels, a 32-year-old white male, left for work at 10:30 a.m. and was reported missing when he did not report back to the facility following work Tuesday evening. Ingels was last seen wearing a red hoodie with black writing on the sleeves, blue jeans, black boots, and a black baseball cap.

Ingels is currently serving a 60-month sentence for several convictions in Neosho County including theft, forgery, drug possession, and endangerment of a child. Engels had a prior drug conviction from Neosho County in 2007.

Ingels is 6 feet tall, 198 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair.

Anyone with information on Ingels can call the Kansas Department of Corrections at 620-221-6660, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) 572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911.

The walk-away is currently being investigated. New information will be released as it becomes available.

The Wichita Work Release Facility, a satellite unit of the Winfield Correctional Facility, is an all-male, minimum-custody state prison with a population of 250.

HUTCHINSON— A Kansas man convicted of inappropriate contact with an 11-year-old girl was denied a non-prison sanction at sentencing Friday.

Donovan Hall, 29, was sentenced to a little more than five years in prison after entering a guilty plea to aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The contact occurred March 7 and again on July 21, 2018.

Hall’s attorney asked for a departure in the case, trying to get him some sex offender treatment. However, the state was opposed and wanted Hall sent to prison. Hall told the court he needs help and will get treatment in prison, but wanted a chance while on some form of probation.

Reno County District Judge Trish Rose agreed with the state, citing the disparity in age and the fact Hall told the child not to tell anyone. She ordered the sentence be served in prison.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials reported a breakthrough Friday in their investigation into the cause of a mysterious outbreak of vaping illnesses.

A government lab found the same chemical compound in fluid taken from the lungs of 29 patients across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced.

The compound — vitamin E acetate — was previously found in liquid from electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices used by many of those who got sick.

Officials said this is the first time they’ve found a common suspect in the damaged lungs of patients.

“We are in a better place in terms of having one very strong culprit,” said the CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat.

But agency officials cautioned they cannot rule out all other toxic substances, and it may take animal studies to clearly show vitamin E acetate causes the lung damage that’s been seen.

More than 2,000 Americans who use vape have gotten sick since March, many of them teen and young adults, and at least 40 people have died.

Vitamin E acetate has recently been used as a thickener in vaping fluid, particularly in black market vape cartridges. While vitamin E is safe as a vitamin pill or to use on the skin, inhaling oily droplets can be harmful.

Many who got sick said they had vaped liquids that contain THC, the high-inducing ingredient in marijuana, with many saying they got them from friends or bought them on the black market.

About two months ago, New York drew attention to vitamin E acetate when the state’s public health lab discovered it in samples of vaping products from sick patients. In some instances, it made up more than half of the liquid in the cartridges.

The chemical has shown up in tests in other labs, too, including a U.S. Food and Drug Administration lab in Cincinnati.

For the latest test, the CDC used fluid extracted from the lungs of 29 patients in 10 states. They looked for a range of substances that had been found in various vaping devices, including nicotine, THC and other marijuana components, plant oils, mineral oil and cutting agents used on the black market.

The one substance that came up in all 29 patients was vitamin E acetate.

“To me what’s important here is both what they found, and what they didn’t find” said Scott Becker, head of the Association of Public Health Laboratories. “This was the only thing they found.”

__