OLATHE, Kan. — A 16-year-old boy was shot and injured by Olathe Police Department officers overnight, authorities said.
Police spokesman Sgt. Joel Yeldell said shortly after midnight on Monday, officers were following up on a residential burglary where handguns were taken.
While in the 400 block of South Cardinal Drive, officers noticed two teenagers armed with handguns. Yeldell said the situation escalated between officers and the teenagers, and multiple officers fired their guns.
A 16-year-old male was injured as a result of gunfire from officers. He was transported to an area hospital and was last reported to be in stable condition, Yeldell said.
Another 16-year-old male, who was not injured, was taken into custody. On Tuesday, he was charged in Johnson County Juvenile Court with burglary to a dwelling, according to court records. Prosecutors requested the teen be charged as an adult.
No police were physically hurt in the situation.
Neighbors who live nearby reported seeing police cars and other first responders after the incident.
"It's very shocking. I never would have thought that something like this would happen in this neighborhood," Celana Zehner said. "I feel like this is a very safe neighborhood, and this was just very surprising."
The case is under investigation by the Johnson County Officer Involved Shooting Investigation Team, which is standard procedure after officers shoot their guns in Johnson County. The team will work with the district attorney’s office to determine whether the actions of the officers were justified.
Police have not said if the two teenagers were responsible for the previous burglary. Yeldell also said investigators are working to determine whether the teenagers fired their guns.
Zehner said the fact that the situation involved teenagers made the incident even more troubling.
"I think it's just very sad that it was a teenager who was shot and the teens were involved," Zehner said.
This is the second officer-involved shooting in Johnson County over the last few days. Another occurred in Lenexa on Saturday.
