KCK police officer fatally shoots person who fired handgun at him, police say

A Kansas City, Kansas, police officer fatally shot a person who fired a gun at him on Interstate 35 late Friday evening, a police spokesman said.

The shooting happened in the area of ​​7th Street and Interstate 35 around 11:15 p.m. Friday.

The officer found a stolen vehicle parked on the roadway. When he stopped behind it, three people who had been inside ran from the vehicle, said Officer TJ Tomasic of the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department. The officer pursued them up the southbound Interstate 35 on-ramp, and at the top of the ramp, one of the people fleeing the vehicle pulled out a handgun and shot the officer, Tomasic said.

The officer fired back, hitting the shooter, who was later pronounced dead at the scene. One of the other people who fled the vehicle was taken into custody, but the third person was not found. Two handguns were found at the scene.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident.

Anyone with information that may be relevant to the incident can call the Crime Stoppers TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS.