WICHITA, Kan. – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Thursday night in Wichita.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office (SGSO) and Wichita Police Department (WPD) requested KBI assistance on Thursday, Jan. 23, around 11:55 p.m. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded to the scene.
At around 9 p.m., WPD received a call about a man who forced entry into a home and attempted to shoot at a male resident. The subject had bonded out of jail on domestic violence charges earlier that day. The man was later identified as Devario C. Edwards, 28, of Wichita.
Preliminary information indicates that after Edwards attempted to shoot the resident, he fled the scene and began a Facebook livestream. In the video, he is armed with a rifle and indicated he was headed to Spirit Aerosystems.
Once he arrived at Spirit, deputies from the Sedgwick County Sheriff and Wichita Police officers located the vehicle and a brief car chase ensued. Edwards then jumped out of his vehicle holding the gun. Around 11:10 p.m., he shot several rounds at officers, beginning an exchange of gunfire. Edwards was struck multiple times. Shortly after, officers approached him, secured his weapon, and began performing lifesaving measures. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased at 12:14 a.m. No law enforcement officers were injured during the exchange.
The preliminary investigation indicated that during the incident two police vehicles were struck by gunfire. Edwards fired over 20 rounds at police. A total of eight law enforcement officers fired over 100 rounds.
This independent investigation aims to discover all events leading up to the officer-involved shooting. In police use of force cases, the KBI releases details to the public as soon as possible. This information is preliminary in nature, and is based on evidence collected and early statements of the parties involved, witnesses, medical personnel and others. It does not represent final or thorough findings which take several weeks to complete.
When this investigation concludes, case findings will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.