Update on officer-involved shooting
Dennis Butler, Riley County Police Department director, gave the Riley County Law Board an update Monday on an investigation of an officer-involved shooting that occurred earlier this month.
The Lawrence Police Department began a third-party investigation earlier this month after two RCPD officers reportedly shot Jarred Kemp, 41, of Manhattan, who was allegedly threatening his family member with a gun.
Butler says the investigation is ongoing and RCPD is continuing to cooperate with LPD officials.
“We cooperate fully with the investigating agency by providing whatever information, records, videos, anything they ask for as if we were a cooperating witness in the community,” Butler said.
The officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave following the incident.
Butler says they could soon return to work in an administrative role pending an evaluation.
“We will look at a variety of things, including what the psychologist tells us, the facts as we know them, and decide whether or not they would be suitable to come back in an administrative capacity,” Butler said.
Once the third-party investigation is complete, it will be submitted to the Riley County attorney for review.
RCPD officials will also follow up with an administrative investigation of their own to see if department policies were followed.
Endorsement for parking-garage substation
RCPD received an endorsement from the Riley County Law Board Monday for an Aggieville parking garage substation. However, it did not receive the board’s endorsement for extra training space to also go into the parking garage.
Wynn Butler, law-board member and Manhattan city commissioner, voiced opposition to the training space, saying officials have already indicated that it’s an addition they don’t want.
“A greater police presence down there is just not desirable,” Butler said. “I don’t think the business district likes it. It wasn’t part of the plan. The parking garage is there for economic reasons and that space is going to be used for commercial or something else and I think the city staff agrees.”
Linda Morse, law-board member and Manhattan city commissioner, also expressed opposition to the training space, drawing attention to the importance of parking stalls.
“The demand that we’re going to have from that area, whether it’s residential, commercial, bars, I don’t know what it’s going to be, but they’re going to pay as far as I am concerned,” Morse said. “We’re not giving away parking spaces in that building that we’re paying $14 million for.”
While the city will own the parking garage, the county will own the substation.
RCPD officials hope the endorsement will help move the project forward.
