The District Attorney's office says officers were justified in the deadly shooting of a man in an east Wichita neighborhood in November.
November 12th, Robert Scharoun was shot and killed outside a home in the Wilson Estates neighborhood. Police say he fired at several homes, as well as a newspaper carrier, before being shot by officers.
Today, District Attorney Nola Foulston says a review of the case determined four officers involved were justified in their use of force.
According to the review, Scharoun fired four shots, including one that struck a newspaper carrier's truck. The review says a caller to 911 watched as a man fired the shot at the carrier's vehicle, and was also yelling "hear me roar" and I'm gonna kill you," although the caller said it appeared the man was alone. The report says toxicology tests showed no signs of alcohol or drugs.
The review concludes:
"Scharoun exhibited violent behavior, and was armed with a loaded .243 caliber rifle. He fired the rifle at a paper carrier driving through the neighborhood, narrowly missing the carrier's head, and fired several shots into a home in the area. It appears Scharoun fired upon the house to the northeast in response to the resident of that home turning on some lights inside after being awakened by the noises outside. Scharoun then scaled the fence and forcibly entered the home on Keeneland. It appears Scharoun quickly exited the home and was at the corner of the fence when he was spotted by the officers walking north on Keeneland. Scharoun then moved out from behind the fence with the rifle aimed at the officers. These acts by Scharoun clearly posed a lethal and imminent threat to all of the officers on foot."
The DA's office says it was reasonable under the circumstances for the officers to respond with deadly force to protect their own lives or the lives of others.
Click the link to read the entire review from the DA's office, which includes more details and a map of what happened.
