KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Kansas, police officer was shot in the arm on Tuesday afternoon in an incident that actually occurred in Johnson County, according to the department.
The shooting occurred shortly after 4 p.m. near South 39th Street and County Line Road near the Argentine neighborhood of KCK.
Nancy Chartrand, a spokeswoman for the police department, said the officer stopped a "suspicious individual" and at some point during their interaction, the person shot the officer in the arm.
The KCK officer was pursuing a suspect vehicle sought in connection to an earlier hit-and-run and possibly multiple hit-and-run incidents. The pursuit ended on a road that runs along the county line between Wyandotte and Johnson counties.
Chartrand said the investigation remains in early stages, but she believes the officer and suspect were outside their vehicles when the shooting started.
The officer, who is reportedly in good condition, was struck in the arm and returned fire, though it's unclear if the suspect was struck during the exchange.
“Today’s incident just shows, while officers have a very important job, it’s a very dangerous job,” Chartrand said.
She added that it’s a risk officers are aware of and live with every day.
Chartrand did not release the officer's name, but said the officer was a transfer to KCKPD and has been with the department for “four-and-a-half to five years."
The shooting itself occurred in Johnson County, so the investigation has been turned over to the Overland Park Police Department.
The officer was transported to The University of Kansas Hospital without lights or sirens. His injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, Chartrand said.
The shooter fled in a vehicle, which was later located near South 43rd Street and Metropolitan Avenue, but the suspect remains at large as of Tuesday evening.
Officers with both KCK and Overland Park are here. When they speak to us, we’ll stream it on https://t.co/vDLHA9um8n pic.twitter.com/RB1MHcFyrK
— Ariel Rothfield KSHB (@arothfield) December 16, 2020
Several ramps from Interstate 635 and Metropolitan Avenue were closed while police investigated the scene.
KCK Police on scene of incident involving Officer. Media staging one block south of Metropolitan on 42nd behind trucking company. PIO Chartrand on site.
— KCKPD (@KCKPDChief) December 15, 2020
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