Minus the normal December cold, last Friday morning started out like most post-Christmas Fridays. People were back at work and most of us were already looking ahead to the weekend.
But something snapped inside a person that is hard to imagine occurring in a big city, let alone Great Bend. This person committed the unthinkable by shooting his partner in the head, killing her, before fleeing in a Chevrolet pickup. This killer headed south on U.S. 281 reaching speeds reportedly over 90 miles per hour in an extremely dense fog. This would be his last drive.
My Friday morning was no different than most Fridays except for the dense fog I drove through from Pratt to my desk at the Tribune. I turned on my computer and checked emails. I poured my first cup of coffee and was ready to see what the day would bring. It didn’t take long to figure out this day would be different from most.
On the newsroom scanner around 9:10 a.m., the dispatch began delivering emergency messages. A shooting had been called in. Someone had been shot in the head. Veteran Tribune reporter Mike Gilmore was ready to begin collecting the facts. Publisher Judy Duryee and Dee Duryee took off to see what they could learn on site. We were ready.
But then, my thoughts turned to those that are tasked with answering these calls – those that are sworn to keep us safe. This was not a speeding ticket. This was a shooting. Despite the undoubted rush of adrenaline, there must be some sort of hesitation when it comes to a call such as this. Those receiving the calls are humans. They too have feelings.
The Great Bend Police Department, Barton County Sheriff’s Office, Great Bend Fire Department and EMS, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Department, St. John Police Department, plus the Kansas Highway Patrol all leapt into action. They were counting on their extensive and intensive training and experience to tend to the victim, collect evidence to solve the crime, catch the bad guy and return home safely to their families.
I won’t pretend to know all their duties. I won’t pretend to know what is going through their minds when a call like this is received. Can you imagine doing this for a living?
The police arrived and secured the scene. The Fire Department and EMS were dispatched to the scene to treat the victim. The BCSO and GBPD detectives were in pursuit of the pickup being driven by the suspect. Both the Stafford County Sheriff and Police Departments were defending from the south. The KBI Crime Scene Response Team was requested and took charge of the case at approximately 10 a.m.
Even though tires were damaged by stop sticks near St. John, the fugitive continued. After making the turn west at the roundabout onto U.S. 50, a Barton County deputy executed a pit maneuver forcing the pickup into the ditch and rolling into a field. The person fleeing presumably chose to take his own life instead of continuing to put law enforcement at risk.
To my knowledge, none of the First Responders were physically injured during this call. Were they shaken up by what happened? My thought is when they were debriefing, there was a moment where some or all experienced a flood of emotions. I also believe there were many prayers said by them – and even more for them.
Nobody wants to see flashing emergency lights in the rearview mirror. Nobody wants to see an ambulance or fire truck in front of your house when you get home. I can only speak for myself but I’m going to say everyone on the right side of the law is thankful we have these brave people on the front line protecting us.
Thank you all and PLEASE be safe out there.
— Keith Lippoldt
