Police: Kansas MP killed in police shootings

A 12-year-old veteran from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office was shot dead Sunday in western Sedgwick County.

Robert Kunze was shot dead while responding to a suspicious character call, Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter said at a press conference Sunday night. A second person, the suspect, was also killed.

"The tragedy struck the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office," said Easter. "A member of our family was killed in the performance of his duties."

Kunze was called around 1:18 pm in the area of ​​N. 295th St. West and W. 21st St. North, just north of Garden Plain and about 20 miles west of downtown Wichita.

When Kunze arrived around 1:42 pm Sunday, he saw a person who matched the description of the suspect character, said Easter. Then, around 1:48 pm, Kunze "activated the emergency button on his portable radio," said the sheriff's office.

Another MP responded and found Kunze and the suspect in the field, said Easter.

Kunze was taken to the hospital via St. Francis St. by ambulance and declared dead at around 2:55 pm.

The suspect was declared dead at the scene and has not yet been identified by the police.

MP Robert K. Kunze III, 41, joined the department in 2006, said Easter. Previously, he was a Shawnee County Sheriff's Deputy for 6 years. He is survived by his wife and a child.

He worked for the first time and was the leader of the serious accident team, said Easter. Kunze was also trained as a field training assistant and was a certified radar and LIDAR instructor.

"He worked with great pride, loved and encouraged the people who worked with him, but he especially loved his family," said Easter.

Kunze had been sent to a suspicious character call. The appellants stated that someone was driving a black truck and that two ATV vehicles were also nearby, Easter added. The appellants then followed the black truck.

When Kunze arrived at the scene, he found the hood open on the suspect's black vehicle, said Easter. The appellant's black truck was parked from the suspect's vehicle.

Kunze tapped the suspect and found a 40-gauge handgun in the suspect's belt, Easter said. The gun was placed away from them both, but a fight ensued when Kunze went to handcuff the suspect.

Kunze's service weapon was unloaded during the incident, but investigators do not know if the suspect's 40-gauge handgun was fired, said Easter.

About six minutes after arriving at the scene, Kunze pressed his emergency button and warned the dispatch that he had been shot, said Easter. A second deputy arrived about a minute later and two witnesses hiding behind the trucks said that shots had been fired.

The suspect was lying face down in the ditch and Kunze was lying on his side next to the suspect, said Easter. A 40-caliber pistol was found next to the suspect. The second deputy handcuffed the suspect and started administering first aid in Kunze.

Kunze had been hit once by the top of his chest over his waistcoat, Easter said. The suspect was shot in the chest and waist.

Neither Kunze nor the suspect reacted to medical treatment at the scene, said Easter. The suspect was declared dead on the scene. The paramedics took Kunze to a hospital where he was also pronounced dead.

The assistant vehicles have an on-board camera, but the investigators could not download any video, said Easter. Roads in the area will remain blocked overnight as investigators work to download the video to see if there is other evidence to look for in the area. However, the camera view may have been obscured by other vehicles.

The area near the shooting scene is mostly open fields with some farms. It is about five miles east of the Cheney Reservoir.

The suspect is believed to be linked to three other crimes committed in the region on Sunday.

Wichita police reported that a Dodge money had been stolen probably during a robbery early Sunday morning, Easter said. MP Kunze reported later in the morning that a 40 caliber weapon had been stolen from a vehicle in the 3300 islet of West MacArthur. The black Chevy that the suspect was driving before the shooting was reported stolen in the 3800 block of West MacArthur.

Cheney police found the Dodge money Sunday night.

There are no other suspects in Kunze's shooting death, said Easter, but there could be other suspects in the related cases.

The funeral for Kunze has not been finalized, said Easter.

"We will always remember him for his smile, his contagious laugh and his ability to engage everyone in a conversation," said Easter. "The Kunze MP will be missed and we ask you to pray for him and his family. The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office suffered a great loss today and a life-changing tragedy for the MP Kunze's family.

Prior to the Sunday shooting, 29 police officers from Sedgwick County had been killed in the line of duty, including eight from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department, according to the memorial.

The most recent was Deputy Sheriff Brian Scott Etheridge, who was shot in an ambush on September 28, 2009.

The sheriff's brother, deputy sheriff Kevin S. Easter, was killed on January 8, 1996 following a traffic stop.