KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson announced Tuesday that a review of the deadly June 15 police shooting in Lawrence was justified.
An Omaha, Nebraska, homicide suspect — Nicholas Hirsh, 31 — led law enforcement on a high-speed chase from Jefferson County, Kansas, and eventually into Lawrence.
The chase ended approximately one mile south of downtown Lawrence near 19th and Massachusetts streets, which is where Hirsh exited the vehicle he’d been driving and opened fire on Kansas Highway Patrol deputies and University of Kansas police officers who’d been in pursuit.
Law enforcement returned fire and killed Hirsh.
“(A)fter a review of the investigation of the officer-involved shooting of Nicholas Hirsh that took place on June 15, 2020, there is ample evidence to indicate that it was reasonable for law enforcement officers to believe that deadly force was necessary to protect themselves, other officers, and members of the public from death or great bodily harm,” Branson said in a statement about the investigation.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office handled the investigation, which included a review of video evidence and eye-witness testimony.
There will be no charges filed against law enforcement related to the shooting.
—
For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the 41 Action News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015.
