The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and local agencies are looking into an early-morning incident in Harper County that led to the death of a woman in an officer-involved shooting.
The incident happened around 7:15 a.m. Tuesday along U.S. Highway 160 near Attica. The KBI said a motorist reported that a vehicle was stopped on the roadway. A deputy went to the scene and found a compact car in the middle of the highway. As he approached the car he saw a woman holding a knife in one hand and scissors in the other. An Attica police officer also arrived, and he and the deputy backed away to call for assistance. They told the woman several times to drop the weapons and leave the vehicle. The woman stepped out of the car but did not drop the weapons, and she lunged toward the officers. The Attica officer tripped and fell and the woman approached with the knife and scissors. The deputy then fired three shots.
The woman was identified as 54-year-old Cheryl Gaines of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer and the deputy were not hurt.
Highway 160 was closed for a time between Medicine Lodge and Attica, but it was later reopened.
The KBI will investigate the shooting and present a report to the Harper County Attorney’s Office.
