KS-Kidnapped girl dead after Kansas shootout between police, suspect

[Anti Federalist]

I'm not liking the "smell" on this, right out of the gate.

If I had to fathom a guess, they lit this guy and his vehicle up with a thousand rounds or so, and killed the little girl.

The cops are denying that, of course, and promising a "full investigation".

Keep an eye on this one...



Kidnapped girl dead after Kansas shootout between police, suspect

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-crime-kansas-girl-20140719,0,407052.story

KANSAS CITY (Reuters) - A 5-year-old Kansas girl who was kidnapped on Friday night died in a gun battle between police and her abductor following a high-speed chase, police said on Saturday.

"The matter unfolded quite rapidly," said Leavenworth Police Chief Patrick Kitchens," calling the girl's death tragic. "We are still trying to sort out specifically what happened."

Police said the sequence of events began about 7:30 p.m. on Friday when Cadence Harris of Leavenworth was reported kidnapped.

Police said there was some relationship between the child and her abductor but would not provide details.

Police in both Missouri and Kansas were involved in the chase as the suspect crossed the state line before the incident ended in the northeast Kansas town of Leavenworth. At some point the suspect got out of his vehicle and pointed a gun at officers and they exchanged fire, Kitchens said.

"Anytime we have the loss of a small child it is devastating," Kitchens told a new conference, adding that officers on the scene had tried to revive the girl.

He said it was not clear if the child was shot by her abductor, who was seriously wounded and is hospitalized in Kansas City.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) was called in to help investigate.

Stressing that the probe only just getting under way, KBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Malick said it did not appear the girl was hit by bullets fired by police officers.

"Evidence we have at the scene at this time does not support any indication that gunfire struck the car or the victim, and specifically gunfire coming from law enforcement," Malick said.

An autopsy was being carried out and would not be completed on Saturday, he told reporters.

[MelissaWV]

Campbell added that her grandson battles mental illness, and that he called her just before his confrontation with police.

“He just kept calling me and saying he was tired. He was intending to die. He really was,” said Campbell.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigations is now heading up the inquiry including the actions of the officers in the shootout with the suspect. While authorities have not identified the suspect, sources and family members have identified him to KCTV5 as 30-year-old Marcus McGowan.

Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens said Saturday morning that investigators could not rule out that the little girl was killed during the cross fire between officers and McGowan, a family friend who had allegedly kidnapped her.

But KBI officials said they have determined that Cadence Harris was not struck by a bullet fired from an officer’s service revolver.

“There is one important fact that I can discuss with you,” said Mark Malick, KBI special agent in charge said Saturday afternoon during a news conference. “We are early in the investigation. But there is no evidence that indicates at this time that the vehicle or our victim were struck by any gunfire from law enforcement.”

Witnesses had indicated to KCTV5 Friday night that the suspect had shot the little girl before he turned his weapon on officers. Kitchens said investigators have reviewed dash cam video of the shootout.

“What I can tell you definitively on the videotape – he pointed his gun at officers. That’s what perpetrated the shooting,” he said.

...

McGowan’s family members have said McGowan was dating Cadence’s mother and had lived together in Atchsion with McGowan’s family members.

It all began Friday night when McGowan allegedly abducted Cadence from Atchison, KS. Police say the two knew each other and were acquaintances, but wouldn’t specify their relationship.

Authorities said they chased McGowan from Kansas into Missouri and back. Law enforcement officials from Platte County were among those that joined the chase. Leavenworth police picked up the chase about 7:30 p.m. Friday.

McGowan crashed into construction barricades at 20th and Metropolitan in Leavenworth. After he crashed his SUV through the barricades, the man was involved in a short standoff.

Witnesses said officers retreated to a defensive position before opening fire on the suspect.

Investigators spent most of Saturday interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence at the crime scene including determining when the little girl died.

“I just want to clear up, it’s not as certain as what was being reported last night, which is that it happened there. We’re still working on a lot of those details,” Chief Patrick Kitchens said. “What we’re going to do is go through the scene very clearly. There’s a difference between doing a crime scene at night and during the day...we’ll be in a much better position to understand the evidence at the scene.”

At some point Cadence was shot and killed, but the details surrounding her death are unclear as police continue to uncover new details. An autopsy was started Saturday on Cadence.

“There was initial reporting the suspect, while at the scene, shot the victim in the car. We are not sure that’s exactly what happened,” Kitchens said. “A lot more information is made available when the technicians can see and can get a better sense.”

It could be a police coverup, or it could be that the wound was obviously from a type of weapon not used by the police on the scene. It seems like they're looking more into the "when" than the "who" of the gunshot that killed the little girl.

[Anti Federalist]

It could be a police coverup, or it could be that the wound was obviously from a type of weapon not used by the police on the scene. It seems like they're looking more into the "when" than the "who" of the gunshot that killed the little girl.

Watching...

Thanks for the update.

[MelissaWV]

I should add : this and the other chase are not normal. Even if the outcome is that this guy was crazy, had just kidnapped and killed a little girl, and crossed state lines, the size and scope of the responses and the number of others endangered by law enforcement is not acceptable. The last time this happened (within the last pair of weeks?) there were so many cop cars I had to pause the news to point out to mom which car was the suspect's.

[tod evans]

Way I'm reading this it's entirely possible that this dude was the childs father....

[RJB]

I'll wager that the police will determine the perp shot the girl with 6+ different calibers. It will be determined that he either hid all the fire arms very cleverly during the shooting or he had a very special gun.

[Philhelm]

The problem is that the police are so overwhelmingly dishonest that no investigation will ever convince me one way or the other.

[Henry Rogue]

I find it hard to believe that no rounds fired by the cops struck the vehicle. They weren't shooting to wound the man, they were shooting to kill, yet he lives. Curious as to how many rounds were fired by the cops.

[Anti Federalist]

I find it hard to believe that no rounds fired by the cops struck the vehicle. They weren't shooting to wound the man, they were shooting to kill, yet he lives. Curious as to how many rounds were fired by the cops.

If recent events are an indicator, 100-300+

[Henry Rogue]

Kitchens said two officers were involved in the incident.
http://m.leavenworthtimes.com/article/20140718/NEWS/140719321?sect=News&map=1994

[Henry Rogue]

If recent events are an indicator, 100-300+

Thats what I was thinking too, but I guessed more cops were involved. Probably more like 30 if there really was only two cops at the scene. I guess they could have inserted fresh mags and kept firing since the guy was still alive.

[TheTexan]

At least the cops are OK, sounds like a very dangerous situation

[2orb]

they were shooting to kill, yet he lives.

...for the moment

[TheTexan]

If recent events are an indicator, 100-300+

With that many rounds being fired someone could have easily gotten hurt, the cops here are very lucky this could have turned out a lot worse.