A sheriff’s deputy was killed on July 26 after being shot multiple times while responding to a domestic disturbance call in Kansas City, Kansas, authorities said.
Wyandotte County Deputy Elijah Ming, 34, and an officer from the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department responded to a call for civil standby at around 3:30 p.m. local time on July 26, the county sheriff’s office said in a statement. As authorities approached the residence, the sheriff’s office said a man opened fire and struck Ming.
Multiple other sheriff’s deputies and police officers then responded to the scene and exchanged gunfire with the suspect, according to the county sheriff’s office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The suspect, who was later identified as 38-year-old Shawn Harris, was injured during the exchange of gunfire and barricaded himself inside the residence.
Ming was transported to an area hospital where he later died from his injuries, the county sheriff’s office said. The suspect was also taken to a hospital after he exited the home and surrendered to police.
“Deputy Elijah Ming was killed from the injuries he received from the gunfire,” Wyandotte County Sheriff Daniel Soptic said at a news conference on July 26. “Deputy Ming worked for the sheriff’s office for almost nine years, and was a loved member of this agency. Deputy Ming gave his life serving Wyandotte County and all of its residents.”
The suspect was released from the hospital at about 11:30 a.m. on July 27 and was arrested for capital murder of a law enforcement officer, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
He is currently being held without bond in the Johnson County Jail, online inmate records show. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said formal charges are pending and the investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
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What happened in the Kansas City shooting?
Authorities received a call shortly before 3:30 p.m. on July 26 requesting that law enforcement accompany a woman as she moved out of a residence “due to concerns about her safety,” the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
The woman told authorities that when her friends tried to help her move out of the home, Harris had threatened them with a firearm, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Ming and a Kansas City, Kansas Police Department officer later arrived at the residence at around 3:45 p.m.
A preliminary investigation revealed that as Ming and the officer approached the home, Harris fired multiple rounds at them, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said. The rounds struck Ming while the unidentified officer was uninjured.
Multiple law enforcement officers then responded to the scene and exchanged gunfire with the suspect as some tried to provide aid to Ming, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Harris was shot during the gunfight while he barricaded himself inside the home.
“Deputy Ming was transported to the hospital. Despite lifesaving measures, he died of his injuries,” the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said.
Local law enforcement requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation for assistance and agents responded to the scene shortly after 5 p.m. Police negotiated with Harris over the phone until he surrendered and was taken into custody, according to authorities.
The suspect was transported to an area hospital in “good condition” and was treated for his injuries, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said.
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Law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty
At least 49 officers have died in the line of duty this year, according to data from the Officer Down Memorial Page, a non-profit organization that collects date on law enforcement officers, prison officers, and police dogs who have died in the line of duty in the United States.
Earlier this month, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reported that the number of law enforcement professionals who died in the line of duty in the first half of 2025 decreased by about 53% compared to the same time period in 2024. Eighty-nine officers died in the first half of 2024, according to the organization.
The organization previously reported in January that the number of law enforcement professionals who died in the line of duty increased from 118 in 2023 to 147 in 2024. The leading cause of the deaths in 2024 was gunfire, which was responsible for 52 fatalities.
Twenty-two officers died in firearms-related incident in the first half of 2025, which is a 21% decrease from the 28 officers killed by gunfire in the first half of 2024, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
“We lament to document even a single such death, but we are encouraged by how this data is trending currently,” National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund CEO Bill Alexander said in a statement July 8. “We continue to use our data to not only highlight the continuing dangers faced by our law enforcement professionals, but to highlight best practices in officer safety and wellness that we hope is impacting the safety of the men and women who work tirelessly to protect us.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kansas deputy fatally shot responding to domestic disturbance call
