Lawrence police to patrol Topeka Saturday during services for slain officers

Lawrence police will patrol Topeka Saturday, allowing local police to attend funeral services for two of their officers who were shot to death Sunday.

About thirty Lawrence officers will join the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol in taking over the bereaved department’s duties for the day, according to Sgt. Trent McKinley of the Lawrence Police Department.

Topeka police officers Cpl. David Gogian, 50, and Officer Jeff Atherly, 29, died at a Topeka hospital Sunday night after being wounded in a shooting near a Dillons grocery store. The two officers were responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle at the store when they were shot by 22-year-old David Tiscareno, of Topeka, who was killed in a shootout with police the next day.

Many Lawrence police officers have rearranged vacation time in order to substitute for the Topeka department Saturday, while others will attend the services in their off-duty time, McKinley said. To ensure both Topeka and Lawrence are covered, Lawrence detectives and police administrators are stepping in to fill patrol roles.

McKinley said Lawrence police are more than happy to support their colleagues in Topeka.

“We have people who weren’t in Saturday’s plan who say ‘What can I do to help the Topeka Police Department?'”