Staff report
TSnews
There are many questions but few answers after a Goddard police officer shot and killed an armed man following a police chase on Monday morning.
On Tuesday afternoon, Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter identified the 39-year-old man as Michael James Trask, who lived near Lake Afton in the southwest part of the county.
According to reports, on Monday morning a Goddard police officer attempted to pull over a truck driven by Trask for reckless driving. Trask fled out of Goddard going south on 199th Street West.
Goddard police chief Lance Beagley on Monday had said the officer then called off the chase, but continued to follow Trask from a safe distance.
Easter said Trask turned onto 63rd Street South, about five miles south of Goddard, stopping near 183rd Street West. The Goddard police officer gave six commands for Trask to show his hands, which he did not do.
After that, Trask exited the truck and began approaching the officer with a gun in his right hand. The officer, who was out of his patrol vehicle and positioned behind it, gave nine commands for Trask to drop the weapon, which he again did not do.
The officer fired eight times at Trask, who was later pronounced dead by Sedgwick County EMS personnel.
Just after the incident, a woman identifying herself as Trask’s wife told officers that he had been in a high speed chase, and was armed and suicidal. The weapon, a BB gun, was later found in a ditch.
Video of the incident was not released, although authorities did provide still images taken from video.
The officer has been placed on leave, which is standard procedure. The sheriff’s department is conducting an investigation.
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