PAWNEE COUNTY – Dustin Barnes, 48 of Larned, appeared Wednesday morning in the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff for Preliminary Hearing on felony charges of Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer resulting in bodily harm; and Interference with Law Enforcement; Resisting Felony Arrest, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.
Prior to the commencement of the hearing, the parties advised the Court they had reached a plea agreement. In exchange for the defendant’s plea to Count 1 as amended, the State agreed to dismiss Count 2 and amend Count 1 to simply Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer, a Class A person misdemeanor. Barnes entered a Guilty plea to the amended charge of Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer.
In support of the plea, Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett advised the Court that had the matter preceded to trial the State would have presented evidence that the defendant was previously charged with separate physical altercations that occurred at the Pawnee Plaza in Larned, Kansas on December 10, 2024, and January 13, 2025. Barnes subsequently entered a No Contest plea to Disorderly Conduct on March 31, 2025, due to the incidents and was ordered to pay court costs and a fine.
As a result of the altercations, however, the facility gave Barnes a “No Trespass Advisory” and directed he not to be on the premises again. On the morning of May 12, 2025, Larned Police Department Dispatch was notified that Barnes had been banging on the door of the facility manager’s Larned residence. No charges were requested by the manager at that time, but the family asked law enforcement to notify Barnes not to come back to the residence.
Later that morning, a Larned Police Department Sergeant located Barnes walking west of the Edwards Park Public Golf Course near the driving range and golf cart storage buildings. Before the officer could exit his patrol vehicle, Barnes struck the officer through the open driver side window an estimated eight to ten times with a closed fist.
As a result, the officer deployed his taser through the open window. A taser was deployed a second time when Barnes refused to comply with commands to put his hands behind his back and began walking away. The officer was treated at the scene for minor injuries. Pursuant to protocol, EMS also checked the defendant and determined he did not suffer any injuries other than the puncture wounds from the taser deployment. The attack on the officer was captured by the officer’s patrol car in-car video. The second deployment of non-lethal force was captured on the officer’s body cam which activated once the officer exited the patrol vehicle.
After accepting the plea, Magistrate Judge Julie Cowell sentenced Barnes to 12 months on probation with an underlying 12 month jail sentence.