Kansas City Police Capt. Robert David Melton attempted to track down one of the fleeing suspects, during which time the suspect fired into Melton’s patrol vehicle, striking the officer through the window.
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Melton’s age and how long he had served with the department have not been released.
“On behalf of the men and women of the Kansas City, Kansas, police department, and the Melton family, we would like to thank our community for the outpouring of support”, Zeigler said.
Zeigler said Melton was wearing a protective vest. Zeigler said he was a military veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded the Bronze Star. It was the second killing of a Kansas City police officer in two months.
Melton’s murder comes only 10 weeks after the death of KCK police detective Brad Lancaster. Authorities say the attack wasn’t a planned ambush.
“The hate and anti-police speech has got to stop because the consequences are real”, Ziegler said, choking back tears. The week before, two bailiffs – both deputized by the sheriff there – were killed in a MI courthouse, a shooting that came just days after a gunman fatally shot five police officers in Dallas.
“The contributions that peace officers make to protect and serve – they deserve better”, said Banks.
Mayor Mark Holland of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County referenced Lancaster’s shooting Wednesday, saying that the community is still healing from that shooting, which was the first in the department in 19 years.
“We have come too far, because of the relations with our police and community”, said Holland.
Melton was brought to the University of Kansas Hospital just before 2:30 p.m., but resuscitation efforts did not work, trauma surgeon James Howard said Tuesday.
The police officer who was fatally shot this week in Kansas City, Kansas, was not the victim of a targeted attack against law enforcement, authorities said Wednesday.
Within five minutes, officers – including the police captain – arrived on the scene and found several people immediately jumping out of a vehicle and fleeing from the scene. “We know that you share our pain”.
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Be Civil – It’s OK to have a difference in opinion but there’s no need to be a jerk.
