Two Kansas City sheriff’s deputies are dead following a shooting Friday near a courthouse where the deputies had been transporting two prisoners, police said.
The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office announced that Deputy Theresa King, 44, succumbed to her injuries Saturday morning, and Deputy Patrick Rohrer, 35, died Friday shortly after the shooting.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department told KSNT the deputies might have been shot with their own guns after being “overcome” by the prisoners they were transporting. Rohrer and King were rushed to University of Kansas Medical Center, where both died from their injuries.
Rohrer died shortly after arriving at the hospital, while King, who initially arrived at the hospital in critical condition, died from her injuries early Saturday morning.
Police say the suspect had also been shot and underwent surgery, but the status of his condition is unknown.
Officials told WDAF the suspect had been identified as Antoine Fielder, 22, an inmate who allegedly took hold of the deputy’s firearm during a transfer from the courthouse back to the jail.
Fielder faced trial twice for the alleged murder of a 22-year-old. Both trials ended in hung juries. The suspect had been recently accused of murdering a 55-year-old woman.
King served the sheriff’s department for 13 years, while Rohrer stayed with the department for seven years.
“We continue to pray for our brothers and sister with the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department as we lose our sister this morning. No words could explain the feelings and emotions you feel. Praying for Wyandotte County!!” the Kansas City Police Department wrote on Facebook following King’s passing.
The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office said the Kansas City Police Department is investigating the incident and the accompanying surveillance footage. Police are urging those with information to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474- TIPS (8477).
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