Officials say the man shot and killed during a struggle with a Jackson County Sheriff's Deputy was 31-year-old Donald Sneed of Kansas City.
Police said around 9:15 p.m. Sunday an off-duty deputy working for Wal-Mart tried to stop a male suspect from shoplifting.
"A struggle ensued. She was disarmed of her Taser and got out her service weapon and shot the suspect. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased," Sgt. John Payne with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office said.
According to a release from the Jackson County Sheriff, the suspect managed to disarm the deputy of her taser and then tased her in the neck. Officials say the deputy, fearing for her safety and the safety of others, pulled out her weapon and shot the suspect.
Both the deputy and Sneed were taken to the hospital. Sneed later died from his injuries.
The deputy was treated and released from the hospital. She will be placed on leave until the investigation is over.
Justin Coonce of Raytown was leaving the Raytown Walmart off Blue Parkway Sunday night when he saw what led up to the officer-involved shooting that left a man dead.
Coonce told 41 Action News that he and his family witnessed a "struggle" between what appeared to be two men and a police officer. Once he got closer he said he saw a fairly large man attempting to help a police officer subdue another man. Coonce said the struggle went on for "several minutes."
"He was tased multiple times. I heard the taser.... he still, physically, was not fazed by it from what I saw," he said.
Coonce also said there was a bystander who attempted to help subdue the alleged shoplifter during the struggle and that there's no question, to him, the officer's life may have been threatened.
"My opinion is that the deputy feared for herself so she felt like she had to take the next step and use deadly force," he said.
41 Action News spoke with Florida woman Gayle Sneed, mother of Don Sneed.
"I'm distraught. I can't. I haven't been to bed. The sad part is nobody will tell me where my son is," she said.
Gayle Sneed says police have said very little and told 41 Action News that she desperately tried to speak with police about the whereabouts of her son to no avail.
"I've called the sheriff's department every two hours since eleven o'clock last night," she said. "I need somebody to call me and tell me that, yes, his name is Donald Sneed and that he's dead and that I can find him somewhere. I just need somebody to please answer my questions."
Family in Florida are trying to get on a plane as soon as possible, coming to Kansas City to demand answers.
