OTTAWA — Ottawa police officers and Franklin County deputies were justified in shooting Joseph Jennings, Ottawa, on Aug. 23 in the Orscheln’s parking lot, 2008 S. Princeton St., Franklin County Attorney Stephen Hunting said. The investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation of the fatal shooting is virtually complete, and no charges will be filed, Hunting said during a news conference this afternoon. The incident was sparked by a call to 911, in which a caller reported a man with a gun was behaving erratically, he said. Hunting said Jennings phoned in that report himself and gave the dispatcher a description of the man. “He described himself to a T,” Hunting said. Jennings gave his name to the dispatcher and then disconnected when officers showed up, Hunting said. He said despite efforts by the officers and members of Jennings’ family to defuse the situation, it became increasingly tense, he said. After officers fired a Taser and bean bags at Jennings, he pulled out what officers thought was a gun and pointed it at them and three police officers and two deputies opened fire, Hunting said. Jennings was hit eight or nine times. He died from his wounds at Ransom Memorial Hospital. Hunting says KBI agents found 29 shell casings at the scene. Some bullets hit a nearby house. Jennings wasn’t armed, Hunting said. Instead, it appears Jennings had black sunglasses in his hand, he said. However, testimony and evidence indicate officers believed he had a gun and that they were reacting to protect their lives and the lives of other people in the parking lot, he said. Hunting said he discussed his findings with Jennings’ family, who have been critical of the police and sheriff’s department, prior to the news conference. In a separate statement, Police Chief Dennis Butler called the shooting a tragedy and offered his condolences to Jennings’ family and friends. He says no officer wants to kill someone and he says his department is devastated by Jennings’ death. “It is my commitment to our community that when we conclude our review of what happened on August 23 our goal will be to identify any steps we can take to better prepare our police officers to protect themselves and other human life,” he said.
Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2 p.m.; updated 5 p.m.
