KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A special prosecutor reviewing a February 2022 police shooting in Leavenworth has determined the officers' actions were "justified."
Police shot Donald Barden, 31, on Feb. 13, 2022 on a downtown Leavenworth street after Barden allegedly refused to comply with orders to drop his weapon.
At the time, police alleged that Barden was running toward officers when officers from the Leavenworth and Lansing police departments opened fire.
A special prosecutor from the Johnson County, Kansas, District Attorney’s office ruled the officers were “justified” in their actions.
Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens said the department conducted an interview review, in which they determined the officers’ conduct was “reasonable and in compliance with department policy.”
Barden was hospitalized following the shooting. He was released about a week later into the custody of the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Department.
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