It’s the second time a Kansas City, Kan., police officer has been shot and killed this year. “In order for Sipple to be liable for the death or the actions of Lewis, we would have to prove that he knew what Lewis was going to do over there on 22nd Street and we don’t have any evidence to show that he knew Lewis was going to shoot a police officer or particularly, Capt. Melton there”. The judge read the charges against Lewis, which also include aggravated assault and criminal discharge of a weapon At the end of the hearing, Lewis turned to his family at the back of the cou…
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Authorities allege that a local man, 20-year-old Jamaal Lewis, shot and killed Melton while the officer was investigating a drive-by shooting.
It’s unclear whether they have lawyers yet who could comment on the allegations.
Lewis is being held on a $10 million bond, Sipple’s bond is $100,000 per jail records.
Police Chief Terry Zeigler struggled to make it through his tribute to Melton, who he said was committed to the force. The suspect vehicle took off as police arrived, but it crashed into a fence and the occupants bailed out at 1:36 p.m., police spokesman Tom Tomasic said Tuesday. Two suspects were arrested the same day but have not been formally charged. Before he could get out of his vehicle, he was shot several times through his passenger-side window.
Melton was a 17-year veteran of the department. On May 9, detective Brad Lancaster was fatally shot near the Kansas Speedway the first shooting in the department in 19 years.
The site notes that under Kansas law, a conviction of capital murder carries only two possible sentences: life in prison with no chance of parole or the death penalty.
A prosecutor plans to announce charges soon in the fatal shooting of a 46-year-old police captain in Kansas City, Kansas.
Authorities have said they don’t believe Melton’s death was a planned ambush.
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Curtis Ayers, of Tonganoxie, is charged with capital murder in Lancaster’s death.
