The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday that no criminal charges will be filed against a Wichita police officer who fatally shot an armed man in 2023.
Police were called to a disturbance on December 3rd, 2023 in the 4200 block of East Gilbert and they confronted 50-year-old Daniel Stowe, who had been in a dispute with his estranged wife. The mother of Stowe’s wife had called 911 to report the disturbance. Stowe told three officers that he was going to grab his gun, and the officers warned him not to do that. Stowe removed his gun from a holster on his right hip, pointing it at the ground and then raising it toward one of the officers. Another officer fired four shots and Stowe was hit by one of them. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators later found that Stowe had sent text messages to his wife saying that he intended to act in a manner that would cause officers to shoot him and end his life. Stowe’s gun was found to have a live round in the chamber and an empty magazine.
District Attorney Marc Bennett said the investigation found that Stowe had ignored commands of the officers and told them he intended to withdraw his weapon. When Stowe raised his weapon, the officer who fired the shots said she feared that Stowe was going to shoot another officer. Bennett said under state law, no criminal charges will be filed.
The Kansas “Stand Your Ground” law states that a person is immune from prosecution if that person is acting in defense of himself or others.
[photo shows image from officer’s body camera during the December, 2023 confrontation with Daniel Stowe ]
