Lawrence Police are investigating after two men were shot this morning in Lawrence.

The first 911 caller reported hearing 4-5 gunshots, followed by a female's scream and an unknown vehicle fleeing the area of 22nd Street and Alabama. A second caller reported the shots to be closer to Greever Terrace and Louisiana Street.

An officer responding to the area reported a male with multiple gunshot wounds "ran into" his patrol car near the McDonald's at 901 W. 23rd Street. Medics reported a 27-year-old man with gunshot wounds to the arm, shoulder and "base of the neck". He was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center and was in critical condition at that time.

Less than two minutes after the officer found one shooting victim at the McDonald's, Police and Fire Medical crews were called to an address in the 800 block of Greever Terrace, about two blocks north of the McDonald's. Medics reported a 33-year-old man with two gunshot wounds, one to the foot and the other to be a "through and through" wound in the right side. He was transported to the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas. He was in critical condition at the time of transport.

Fire Medical crews requested two helicopters to transport the victims from Lawrence to Kansas City area trauma centers. However, due to weather conditions no helicopters were available. As of 4:30 a.m., both victims were being transported to Kansas City area hospitals by Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical ambulance units.

The victim found at McDonald's is believed to have been shot on Greever Terrace. Radio traffic indicates that the man who was found at McDonald's was shot on Greever Terrace and drove himself towards 23rd Street looking for help. It is unclear if the man found shot on Greever Terrace was in a vehicle or on foot.

Scanner traffic indicated that at least one of the victim's may have known the suspect. The only description currently available is a black male driving an unknown make, green truck. There were also a report of a 2-door "sporty" passenger car that was seen fleeing the area just after the gunshots were heard.

It was not immediately clear if the shootings were related to an earlier disturbance, involving a gun, at Magic Lounge, 804 W. 24th Street. No injuries were reported at Magic. This disturbance was reported at 3:41 a.m. and reportedly involved 10 subjects who were fighting inside the business. One of those subjects was armed with a handgun, which was taken away from him by security. The male suspect then fled from the business.

Check back with this blog and the Lawrence Journal-World for more information as it becomes available.

The activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

Operation 100 News' listening hours as well as contact information is located on our Facebook page. Don't forget to give us a "Like" while you are there.

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Emergency crews from at least two counties responded on a diesel fuel spill late Friday night. The scene is the BP station, located at 101 E. Lake Street. The station is on the southeast corner of Lake and Union Streets in the heart of McLouth.

Outside of McLouth, Lake Street is known as Kansas Highway 16.

A diesel tanker was reportedly resupplying the gas station's diesel tank when 1,200 to 1,300 gallons of diesel spilled onto the ground. Crews reported that some of the fuel had ran downhill and into storm drains. The spill was also reported to have "covered" at least one neighbor's backyard.

A caller to the Lawrence Journal-World said that "homes all around the area were being evacuated."

Emergency crews on the scene include; McLouth Police & Fire Department, Oskaloosa Fire Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Jefferson County Fire Districts 8 & 9, and Leavenworth County Emergency Management. An earlier report from the Lawrence Journal-World says that Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical was also involved on the call. The Kansas Division of Emergency Management has also been notified of the spill.

These crews are also being assisted by a private contractor, Haz-Mat Response Inc., of Olathe, Kansas.

An employee with Haz-Mat Response, Olathe, places a hose to suck up diesel fuel in a ditch Saturday near 106 E. Pearl St. in McLouth. A diesel tanker was resupplying a BP gas station's diesel tank Friday night at 101 E. Lake St., also known as Kansas Highway 16, when over a thousand gallons of diesel spilled onto the ground and into a nearby neighborhood. Residents of two homes on E. Pearl Street voluntarily evacuated their home because of the smell. by Mike Yoder

Check back with this blog post for updates as they become available.

The activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

Operation 100 News' listening hours as well as contact information is located on our Facebook page. Don't forget to give us a "Like" while you are there.

Lawrence Police were involved in a very short car chase around 2:15 this morning. The chase began southbound on Harper Street near E. 21st Terrace. The officer in pursuit reported that the driver signaled before he turned eastbound onto E. 23rd Street. The chase ended quickly when the driver pulled into his own driveway in the 1900 block of E. 23rd Street, with Police right behind him. Officers conducted a felony car stop and the man was taken into custody without further incident.

Douglas County booking logs show the driver to be a 33-year-old, Lawrence man. He now faces charges for OUI, attempt to elude, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Also new this morning, the Kansas Highway Patrol continues to investigate after a 28-year-old Lawrence woman was struck by a vehicle on Interstate 435 near Kansas Highway 10 in Lenexa. More on this accident, including her name can be found on the Operation 100 News website.

The activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

Operation 100 News' listening hours as well as contact information is located on our Facebook page. Don't forget to give us a "Like" while you are there.

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Firefighters from at least three area departments were called to respond on a report of a structure fire in Eudora.

The call was dispatched around 11:40 p.m. at 2218 Quail Court. The address is on the south side of Kansas Highway 10, just east of Eudora High School.

Law Enforcement arrived on the scene to report the east side of the structure was heavily involved in fire. Fire crews arrived to report heavy flames visible from the south and east sides of the two story home.

The residents of the home told emergency crews that everyone was out of the home safely.

As of 12:10 a.m., firefighters report the roof of the home is nearly fully engulfed. Crews remain inside the home battling the flames from the second story.

Just before 1 a.m., a Fire Safety Officer reported a partial roof collapse. Incident command made radio contact with each firefighter team on the inside of the structure. All crews were clear of the collapse area and continue to put water on the fire.

The fire was reported to be "under control" at 1:07 a.m.. Dispatchers report that crews were on scene for one hour 20 minutes before the fire was brought under control.

Firefighters continue to put water on hot spots after the fire is brought under control in Eudora. Photo submitted to Operation 100 News by Ashley Walker of Lawrence. by Mike Frizzell

Emergency vehicles from the City of Eudora, Eudora Township and Wakarusa Township Departments line the street as crews work to extinguish the fire. Photo submitted to Operation 100 News by Ashley Walker of Lawrence. by Mike Frizzell

Neighbors on one side of the home were evacuated as a precaution. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters from the City of Eudora, Eudora Township Fire and Wakarusa Township Fire are all on the scene.

The activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

Operation 100 News' listening hours as well as contact information is located on our Facebook page. Don't forget to give us a "Like" while you are there.

Several area fire departments have responded to a reported structure fire in Baldwin City this morning.

The call was dispatched as a possible structure fire at the intersection of 9th Street and High Street just before 1:35 Saturday morning. Responding firefighters reported flames visible on their approach. Medics arrived to confirm that the two story structure was fully involved.

Fire crews forced their way through a front door where they found a man sleeping on a couch. That man told firefighters that he was the only person at home. The man was checked out by medics at the scene and released.

Firefighters reported a partial collapse of the structure at 2:40 a.m.. At that time crews continued to battle the fire.

Incident command has requested the Red Cross be notified for one resident who was displaced. The Kansas State Fire Marshal Office has also been requested to respond to investigate the cause of the fire.

Photo provided by @fidgetorama on Twitter. by Mike Frizzell

Photo provided by Brandon Webb (@BLWebb79 on Twitter). by Mike Frizzell

Photo provided by @fidgetorama on Twitter. by Mike Frizzell

Baldwin City Fire is receiving assistance from Palmyra Township Fire, Wellsville Fire (Franklin County), and Willow Springs Township Fire. All mutual aid fire crews were released from the scene shortly after 4 a.m.. Baldwin City firefighters remained on the scene to watch for hot spots.

No injuries were reported.

Check back to this post for updates as they become available and with the Lawrence Journal-World for a full report on the fire later Saturday.

The activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

Operation 100 News' listening hours as well as contact information is located on our Facebook page. Don't forget to give us a "Like" while you are there.

Douglas County Deputies and Lawrence Police were all kept pretty busy this morning.

Lawrence Police conducted around 30 vehicle stops, three bar checks and responded on four disturbances.

The only noteworthy disturbance in Lawrence reportedly involved 30 subjects pushing and shoving near 10th & Mass Streets. The incident was reported around 12:45 a.m., no injuries or arrests were reported. Most of the subjects had separated before LPD arrived.

Douglas County Deputies were called out on a rather odd domestic disturbance in southwestern Douglas County around 1:30 a.m.. Dispatchers received calls from a man that said his brother was trying to harm him. Dispatchers also received a call from the men's sister, who lives nearly 1,000 miles away, and wanted Deputies to check on her brothers who she said live together. Deputies arrived at the address just as one of the brothers drove his truck onto the roadway and immediately crashed in front of the patrol vehicles. It was unclear what the man hit with the truck, he did not report any injuries and was detained by Deputies. The second brother was located a short distance away and claimed to be the victim of a battery. The man that was apparently trying to flee from the address and wrecked his truck was arrested and now faces a domestic battery charge. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Deputies were called to the area of The Outhouse, 1800 block of N. 1500 Road, on a reports of a possible shooting. The caller reported three gunshots outside of the building. There was also mention of a bus being somehow involved in the incident. Deputies arrived to find a vehicle in the ditch in front of the address and a party bus driving away. Lawrence officers responded to help locate and stop the party bus, which was stopped a short time later. The bus reportedly had 30 people on board. It was unclear how the bus was involved or what caused the vehicle to end up in the ditch. No injuries or arrests were reported in the incident.

Lawrence Police and the Kansas Highway Patrol each recorded one arrest for DWI/OUI related offenses. The highway patrol also made an arrest for an outstanding warrant and another arrest for driving on a suspended license.

Some of the activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

The activity blogged here is only a sampling of some of the things that Douglas County Law Enforcement and Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical respond on. To see a complete list of Lawrence Police activity, the department has that available on their website along with several easy to use maps that show approximate locations for Police activity.

My listening hours as well as contact information is located on my Facebook page. Don't forget to give me a "Like" while you are there.

More LJWorld Crime Coverage

Lawrence Police were called Lawrence High School, 1901 Louisiana Street, at 2:56 Thursday morning after a passerby reported a man trying to break into one of the annex buildings.

The man was said to have been hitting the doors with a trashcan. The annex building's address is 2017 Louisiana Street.

At least six LPD units responded. On their arrival officers reportedly found the glass in one of the doors had been broken out. Several officers entered the building and located one man inside. That man was taken into custody at 3:00 a.m..

Booking records show the 43-year-old, Lawrence man now faces charges of criminal damage to property and criminal trespassing.

No other information was immediately available. Check back with the Lawrence Journal-World later this morning for updates to this story.

This activity was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

My listening hours as well as contact information is located on my Facebook page. Don't forget to give me a "Like" while you are there.

More LJWorld Crime Coverage

Early Monday morning's are usually very quiet when it comes to significant police activity. Things weren't that way today with officers responding on three disturbances in less than an hour.

The first was reported to be several subjects being rowdy and possibly fighting at the Royal Crest Lanes, 933 Iowa Street, around 1:10 a.m.. Lawrence Police Department's call log show that a total of 12 units were eventually assigned to the call. Medics were also called to the scene to treat four people who had been exposed to OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) spray, otherwise known as pepper spray. A 19-year-old, Topeka man was arrested and faces a slew of charges including; battery on a law enforcement officer, possession of an others driver's license, assault on a law enforcement officer, obstruction of the legal process, two municipal failure to appear warrants and a Shawnee County failure to appear warrant. Booking records show that he is being held without bond by the order of the Topeka Police Department.

The next two disturbances both involved the same subject causing problems at the same address. Officers were first called to Playerz, 1910 Haskell Avenue, at 1:29 a.m., for two subjects fighting inside the business. When officers arrived the two men had separated and one was waiting for officers outside. Officers arrested one man for disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing. The police department's website shows that seven units were assigned to the call. Medics also responded and treated one subject, at the scene, for a bloody nose.

Officers were called back to the Haskell Avenue address at 2:03 a.m. after an employee reported that the second man involved in the earlier disturbance had returned and was knocking on the door and windows. This time nine units show to be assigned to the call and the man is arrested but, only after he decided that it would be a good idea to batter one of the officers. The man now faces charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct.

At 2:08 a.m., Officers responded on a non-injury accident in the 1700 block of Tennessee Street. The male driver was arrested and now faces charges for OUI, no insurance and driving while suspended/revoked.

An officer on routine patrols also conducted a vehicle stop in the 1800 block of W 23rd Street. The driver was found to be intoxicated and was arrested. She now faces an OUI charge.

Some of the activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

The activity blogged here is only a sampling of some of the things that Douglas County Law Enforcement and Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical respond on. To see a complete list of Lawrence Police activity, the department has that available on their website along with several easy to use maps that show approximate locations for Police activity.

My listening hours as well as contact information is located on my Facebook page. Don't forget to give me a "Like" while you are there.

Lawrence Police were kept plenty busy this morning with disturbances and other calls for service. Here is a look at some of the calls police responded on this morning.

• 16 Vehicle stops
• 14 Disturbances
• 4 Noise complaints
• 1 Trespassing complaint

The majority of the disturbances occurred around closing time, up and down Massachusetts Street. Medics were called to at least three of the disturbance scenes, only one person was transported to the hospital. That person was said to have lost consciousness after being involved in a fight, his injuries were said to be serious. As of this report, no arrests have been made.

At 3:45 a.m., Police were called to Magic Lounge, 804 W. 24th Street, on reports of a large disturbance. One caller reported approximately 30 men fighting at the address. The caller believed that one of the men was carrying and had possibly displayed a handgun during the fight. Initially three officers were dispatched on the call, a total of seven units were eventually committed to the call. Those officers did not report any injuries or arrests.

With all of the car stops reported, the county booking log shows only one arrest for DWI. That arrest was made by the Sheriff's Office around 4:30 a.m. at 6th and Stoneridge.

Deputies also made three arrests at the same vehicle stop on K-10 near Eudora. One of the subjects faces a misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance charge, the second subject faces a misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance charge and is accused of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The third subject faces a charge for possession of stolen property.

The booking log only shows one arrest for Lawrence Police. That came shortly after midnight involving a 20-year-old Lawrence man who faces charges for criminal damage to property, possession/use of a fake Driver's License, and possession of alcohol by a minor.

Some of the activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

The activity blogged here is only a sampling of some of the things that Douglas County Law Enforcement and Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical respond on. To see a complete list of Lawrence Police activity, the department has that available on their website along with several easy to use maps that show approximate locations for Police activity.

My listening hours as well as contact information is located on my Facebook page. Don't forget to give me a "Like" while you are there.

5 a.m. update: Westar Energy is showing 1469 customers currently without power. KU Police and Fire Medical crews also responding on multiple burglary and fire alarms. Most of those are believed to have been triggered by the surge. No reports of anything visible.

Lawrence Transit has announced that they are delaying the start of services this morning until 9 a.m.. More updates from the Journal-World soon.

The Kansas Department of Transportation is reporting "major drifting" on area highways due to blowing/gusting winds.

4:50 update: 1462 Westar Energy customers are without power.

4:10 a.m. update: Westar Energy is showing 1076 customers without power. The heavy snow continues to damage tree branches and bring down powerlines. Fire crews are still standing by on at least two different scenes with arcing lines and transformers sparking.

3:45 a.m. update: 965 Westar Energy customers are without power.

Lawrence Police reported a power line down near 23rd and Louisiana Streets around 3:20 a.m.. A second line was reported down about 10 minutes later in the 1200 block of the alley between Delaware and Pennsylvania Streets.

Westar Energy crews just arrived on the scene on 23rd Street and are working to repair the downed line.

Check back with this blog for updates as they become available.

Douglas County outages map as of 4:50 a.m.. by Mike Frizzell

Also new this morning, one person was stabbed on the University of Kansas campus.

The activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

Operation 100 News' listening hours as well as contact information is located on our Facebook page. Don't forget to give us a "Like" while you are there.

KU Police are investigating after a 20-year-old man was stabbed by an acquaintance around 2:30 this morning.

Police were called to Oliver Hall, 1815 Naismith Drive, by a Resident Assistant who reported a man with a stab wound. Officers located the male victim in the lobby of the building and learned that the male suspect had fled from the building on foot.

Medics reported the victim's injuries to be serious, with a single stab wound to the abdomen just above the "belt line." The wound was reportedly inflicted with a butter knife.

Officers currently only have a very vague suspect description but, it sounds like the two men know each other and the victim may not be a KU student.

Medics have transported the victim to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Check back with this blog and later this morning with the Lawrence Journal-World for more information from Police.

The activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

Operation 100 News' listening hours as well as contact information is located on our Facebook page. Don't forget to give us a "Like" while you are there.

Journal-World reporters Shaun Hittle and Ian Cummings have attended the Lawrence Police Department's 2013 Citizens' Academy twice per week for the past month. On Wednesdays and Fridays, they highlight a few things they learned from the night before. This week's post recounts the eighth and final night of the course.

On patrol: the traffic stop

I saw a minivan weaving, swerving, speeding, and I decided to pull it over and check it out.

I followed the steps in order, as I'd been trained. I pulled my patrol car up within about a car-length of the van and unfastened my seat belt, so I could get out fast. When I hit the blue and red lights, the van hit the gas, so I had to race to keep up. We swerved around a curve before the driver of the van gave in and pulled over to the side of the road.

Officer Guile, riding shotgun, reminded me to park at an angle behind the van and "power it up" with our spotlight. Guile lives and breathes this kind of police work, and even after more than 10 years on the force, he says patrol is where he wants to be. As I stepped out of the car, I remembered his advice: keep your flashlight in your left hand; leave your dominant right hand free to reach for your gun.

Officer Josh Guile coaches Mike Bourneuf on making a traffic stop. by Ian Cummings

Now, I didn't have a gun, because this was Citizens' Academy. We practiced traffic stops Tuesday night, driving Lawrence Police Department patrol cars at Clinton Lake Adult Sports Complex. Officers pretended to be drunk and disorderly drivers, and we tried pulling them over after some coaching from Officers Josh Guile and David Ernst.

If you've been following our "dispatches" from Citizens' Academy, you'll note a familiar theme: it's not as easy as it looks. As I learned by doing the exercise myself and following my classmates as they went through it, there are a lot of hazards to keep in mind at once.

Hazards of the job

In December, two Topeka police officers were shot and killed while approaching a suspect in a car, and in the Academy we had just heard the story of a former Lawrence police officer whose career was ended by an auto accident during a traffic stop.

In 2011,126 police officers nationwide were killed by gunfire, auto accidents, and intentional vehicular assault. As I saw when I caught up to the minivan, there is just no way of knowing what you are dealing with when you pull over a vehicle, especially on a dark night.

Parking the patrol car at an angle behind the van, I left the nose sticking out into the road to push traffic away from us. This also put the patrol car's engine block between me and the van, in case someone in there decided to take a shot at me as I stepped out. With the patrol car's spotlight on the van's rear windows, I could see there were at least two people inside.

Woody Davis checks out the suspicious minivan. by Ian Cummings

I needed to watch that van. But I also needed to watch the traffic going by behind me, especially as I stepped into the road and around the nose of my car. As I walked up alongside the van, I used the flashlight to check out the interior. When I reached the window, I remembered to keep my face back from the door, so it didn't hit me in the face if the driver pushed it open.

Watch the hands and keep them talking

"Good evening; I'm Officer Cummings," I said. "You want to turn the radio down, please, and let me see your license and registration?"

The driver was acting drunk and gave me a fake ID first before handing me the real one. His buddy in the passenger seat was busy throwing up out the window. I asked the driver where he was coming from, and he said the name of a local strip club.

"Excellent," I said. "That's great."

It made no difference to me what these guys did for fun; my concern was keeping them occupied with answering questions and keeping their hands where I could see them. The patter keeps us all busy, and I didn't notice anything suspicious in the car, apart from the fact that these guys had been drinking.

The passenger still had his hand in the pocket of his sweatshirt, though, and I didn't like that. I told him to put his hands where I could see them, which he did, but he also lurched toward me through the window as if to throw up on my shoes.

Mike Bourneuf checks out the inside of the van as the occupants give him bogus answers to his questions. by Ian Cummings

Officer Guile and I decided to let them go, in the interest of time, even though each time we pulled these guys over their behavior seemed to get worse. Drunk is one thing, but other times they got rowdy and filmed us with their phones, or put on phony Russian accents and claimed they were terrified of being arrested and made to disappear. It got to the point where I thought of asking Guile to let me borrow his Taser for a minute.

No excuses in Citizens' Academy

At the end of the exercise, the play-acting officers in the van told me I did a pretty good job of talking my way through the stop, but also that I missed a few things.

For instance, I was so busy chatting with the driver about strip clubs and checking his license, watching two pairs hands and looking for traffic behind me that I didn't see the pistol the driver had tucked in the corner of the dashboard and the bags of cocaine sitting plainly in the passenger's cup holder.

On the other hand, the passenger said, it's a good thing I told him to get his hands out of his pockets, because he had a pistol in there, too.

I kicked myself over the missed guns and dope as I climbed back into the patrol car. It was disappointing. There are just so many unpredictable variables in any given traffic stop, and a lot happens quickly in real time.

I once fantasized about leaving my reporter's notebook behind and becoming a homicide detective. But on my last night of Citizens' Academy, I decided I'd be very lucky if they let me drive a squad car.

To see Shaun Hittle's Day 7 post "Raylan Givens would be embarrassed," click here.

Authorities from at least five law enforcement agencies were involved in a lengthy pursuit early this morning.

Around 2:10 a.m., police from Lawrence and Topeka attempted to stop a white 2001 GMC Jimmy that was northbound on N. 2nd Street near Lincoln Street. The driver chose to flee and the chase was on.

Douglas County Deputies joined the pursuit as the vehicle sped passed TeePee Junction, intersection of U.S. Highways 24-59 and 24-40. The chase continued northbound on U.S. Highway 24-40 with speeds reaching 70 miles per hour.

As the pursuit passed Midland Junction and entered Jefferson County, at least one of their deputies joined the pursuit. Speeds ranged from 45-70 miles per hour while continuing westbound on U.S. Highway 24.

A Jefferson County Deputy was able to get in front of the pursuit and laid spike strips near Decatur Road, just east of Grantville. The vehicle hit the spike strips, shredding at least one tire.

Shawnee County Deputies and more Topeka Police officers joined the pursuit as they entered Shawnee County and eastern Topeka. A Deputy spiked the vehicle a second time near Kansas Highway 4. The second set of spike strips damaged the remaining tires on the vehicle.

After striking a bridge guardrail and making a U-turn into the eastbound lanes of U.S. Highway 24, the vehicle became stuck in the grassy median. The driver and a passenger were taken into custody just east of Kaw Valley Road in eastern Topeka at 2:46 a.m..

No injuries were reported in the chase that spanned about 27 miles, across parts of three counties and lasted 35 minutes.

The driver is reportedly the suspect that Topeka Police were in Lawrence looking for this morning. As of this report there is no official confirmation as to what that man was wanted for.

Check back with this report and the Lawrence Journal-World for updates as new information becomes available.

The activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

Operation 100 News' listening hours as well as contact information is located on our Facebook page. Don't forget to give us a "Like" while you are there.

I was dead before I even reached for my gun. And so was my partner.

It was a sobering moment Tuesday night at Day 7 of the Citizen's Police Academy as I stepped up as the first volunteer in a simulated shooting exercise.

After just having watched several episodes of the TV show "Justified," featuring rogue U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, I made the valiant decision to go first.

Lawrence police Capt. Bill Corey directed the simulation, and handed me a fake handgun while he set up the scenario on a large computer screen. There would be a police vehicle stop, I was told, and I would be the backup officer. On the screen, my partner approached a car, and a woman was asked to step out of the vehicle.

As I affected my best Raylen Givens swagger, I tried to think how Raylen would act. He'd be aggressive, but a perfect shot, I figured, ready to save the day. Would he even bother to take up a proper shooting stance, or just fling from the hip? Would he try to verbally de-escalate the situation, or just go for the gun?

None of that mattered. In this scenario, my partner and I were dead faster than I could form answers to those questions.

See, all that thinking, along with a second passenger who exited the vehicle, distracted me long enough for the woman to pull a gun and shoot both me and my partner. I didn't even have time to raise my weapon.

And that was the point. In the heat of the moment, decision-making is compromised. It's not even really decision-making as much as it is reacting.

Thankfully, for the citizens of Lawrence, I'm writing about this and not out there on the streets reacting.

But here's a video from fellow academy member J. Taylor, who kept his eye on the hands of a suspect reaching for a second weapon during an exercise:

And here's me on my second and more successful try with the simulator:

by Shaun Hittle

Use of force

With the story of a disgruntled and homicidal ex-police officer who's been shooting officers in California dominating national headlines, it was apt that Day 7 of the Citizen's Academy centered on officer use of force.

We were treated Tuesday to a frank discussion about the challenges officer face when deciding to use force.

Fortunately, in Lawrence I don't remember an instance (I've been here since 2008), where an officer has had to fire a weapon.

But police officers are trained to do so, Corey told us, equipped with a Critical Incident Team, or the Lawrence version of a SWAT team.

More likely, though, is an officer having to wrestle down a suspect, or pull a Taser.

Taser usage has become more common in the country during the past few years, and many of LPD officers are equipped with the yellow guns.

The reality is that the guns are pulled and not used much more often than used. It reminded me of a story we did a few years back about Tasers.

I'll never forget the quote from the officer we interviewed for the story: "Oh yeah, they (criminals) know the yellow gun."

According to that article, in the two and a half years since 2008, when the LPD got its first round of Tasers, officers used the yellow gun just 17 times in more than 300,000 police calls.

It just reinforced what the officers told us all night: It's much easier to sweet talk a suspect than use force.

That was clear to us a few weeks back in class when we watched a video of three suspects assaulting LPD officer John Evinger during a traffic stop in 2011. The video — which I don't have to share here — showed how quickly it can happen, and how dangerous the job is. Because of injuries to his eye, Evinger was forced to retire.

Lawrence Police continue to investigate this morning after two people reportedly walked into Lawrence Memorial Hospital after being stabbed.

Hospital staff called Police shortly after 3 a.m., to report the incident to Police. Officers were dispatched at 3:15 a.m..

It was not clear where the stabbing occurred or the conditions of the injured.

The victims were said to be non English speaking.

As of this report no other details are available.

Here is an updated report on this story from my reporting partners at the Lawrence Journal-World.

The activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

Operation 100 News' listening hours as well as contact information is located on our Facebook page. Don't forget to give us a "Like" while you are there.

Here is a look at some of the calls that Lawrence Police responded on this morning.

• 10 Disturbance/Battery reports (4 of which were domestic)
• 7 Vehicle stops
• 5 Non-injury accidents
• 1 Minor injury accident
• 1 Trespassing complaint
• 1 Noise complaint

The first arrest came just after midnight at a hotel in the 700 block of Iowa Street for criminal trespassing. Apparently the man had been asked to leave several times after trying to start a disturbance, he refused and Police were called at 11:58 p.m.. He was eventually taken into custody about 20 minutes after midnight.

Around 12:15 a.m., Police responded on two non-injury accidents about the same time. The first was in the 900 block of Mississippi Street and the second was in the 1700 block of Kentucky Street.

Next was a disturbance in the 700 block of Massachusetts Street at 12:24 a.m.. An officer patrolling the area reported subjects arguing and stopped to check on them. One of the men was eventually arrested and now faces charges of interference with the duties of an officer and disorderly conduct.

Lawrence Police were called to investigate a non-injury hit and run accident in the 600 block of Mississippi Street at 12:32 a.m.. Officers located the suspect driver about 15 minutes later in the 1200 block of W. 6th Street, about four blocks from the scene of the accident. The driver now faces charges including leaving the scene of an accident involving damage to a vehicle/property, no insurance, and OUI.

Douglas County Deputies were called to investigate a non-injury hit and run accident that occurred just north of Lawrence shortly after 12:30 a.m.. Deputies caught up with the suspect driver in the 1000 block of N. 3rd Street. She was arrested and faces a total of eight charges. Those charges are; DWI, open container, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, leaving the scene of a non-injury accident, failure to report an accident, no proof of liability insurance, and no driver's license.

Lawrence officers were called to investigate a domestic disturbance in the 1100 block of Louisiana Street at 12:50 a.m.. After investigation, a female was arrested. She now faces charges of domestic battery and criminal damage to property.

Around 1:30 a.m., Lawrence officers and Douglas County deputies were informed of a vehicle that was seen traveling northbound on the southbound bridge over the Kansas river. The person who called police reported that after crossing the river, the vehicle returned to the correct side of the road and then entered the turnpike, where the caller lost sight of the vehicle. Kansas Turnpike Authority Troopers were informed of the vehicle description and earlier offense. It did not sound like Troopers were able to locate that vehicle.

Just before 1:40 a.m., police were called to investigate a disturbance near 11th and Massachusetts Streets. The caller reported that he had been thrown on the ground and then kicked. Medics treated the victim for some minor injuries at the scene. He was not transported by medics. It was unclear if the man knew his attacker or not. No arrests were reported.

Police were called to an address in the 2100 block of Bob Billings Parkway for a domestic disturbance at 1:54 a.m.. One man was arrested on charges of criminal restraint and criminal trespassing. No injuries were reported.

At 2:00 a.m., officers were called to investigate a non-injury accident in the 2200 block of Louisiana Street.

Police investigated a disturbance at 8th and Massachusetts Streets at 2:03 a.m., And a disturbance in the 500 block of Wisconsin at 2:23 a.m. Medics were called to both of those scenes but, did not transport anyone from either the scene.

One of this morning's reported larger disturbances was reported near Fuzzy's Taco Shop at 1115 Massachusetts Street around 2:35 a.m.. The caller reported there were five subjects fighting and someone possibly injured. LPD arrived to find that the disturbance had broken up. Medics were also called to this scene but, were turned away by police who had learned that no one was reporting being injured.

At 2:41 a.m., officers wrapping up the investigation of the earlier non-injury accident in the 2200 block of Louisiana Street reported a new accident at 23rd and Louisiana Streets. Officers moved the vehicles into the Walgreen's parking lot and requested Medics respond to the scene. Again, medics did not transport anyone from the scene.

Police were called to investigate a disturbance in the 2400 block of Brookside Drive. Officers learned that the suspect had left the address and possibly had returned to his residence near W. 24th Street and Ousdahl Road. Officers checked the area of the suspects residence but did not locate him. He was found a short time later in the 2200 block of Iowa Street. He now faces a charge of aggravated battery.

No serious injuries were reported with any of this morning's activity.

Some of the activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

The activity blogged here is only a sampling of some of the things that Douglas County Law Enforcement and Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical respond on. To see a complete list of Lawrence Police activity, the department has that available on their website along with several easy to use maps that show approximate locations for Police activity.

My listening hours as well as contact information is located on my Facebook page. Don't forget to give me a "Like" while you are there.

Here is a look at some of the calls that Lawrence Police responded on this morning.

• 5 Disturbance/Battery reports
• 4 Car stops
• 2 Noise complaints
• 1 Trespassing complaint
• 1 Indecent exposure complaint
• 1 Criminal damage report

Most of this morning's disturbances were on the smaller side, two or three people fighting/arguing. The one exception to this came at an address that Lawrence Police are beginning to become familiar with lately. They were called around 1:20 a.m. to an apartment in the 3300 block of W 8th Street, following reports of an argument that was possibly escalating into a fight. A total of six units were eventually attached to the call. Officers spoke to the involved parties and after checking everyone involved for warrants, returned to service from the call without making any arrests. No injuries were reported. This same address and apartment number have been the location for at least two previous calls, in recent memory during my listening hours.

Aside from the three DWI/OUI related arrests, there were two other arrests. The first involved a domestic disturbance with one of the involved now facing charges of domestic battery and violation of a protective order. The second arrest involved a theft in the 1300 block of Tennessee Street. That suspect now faces charges of theft and interference with the duties of an officer.

None of this morning's activity was reported to have involved any serious injuries.

Some of the activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

The activity blogged here is only a sampling of some of the things that Douglas County Law Enforcement and Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical respond on. To see a complete list of Lawrence Police activity, the department has that available on their website along with several easy to use maps that show approximate locations for Police activity.

My listening hours as well as contact information is located on my Facebook page. Don't forget to give me a "Like" while you are there.

Journal-World reporters Shaun Hittle and Ian Cummings are attending the Lawrence Police Department's 2013 Citizens' Academy twice per week for the next month. On Wednesdays and Fridays, they'll highlight a few things they learned from the night before.

Crime scene investigation is not as easy as it looks on television.

Just taking your own fingerprint off of an aluminum can, as we learned in an exercise on Day 6 of Citizens' Police Academy, can be infuriatingly difficult. The tape sticks to all the wrong edges, the black powder gets everywhere, and you may end up with nothing but a smudgy blob. That doesn't happen to David Caruso on "CSI: Miami."

A Citizens' Academy participant brushes black powder onto a soft drink can before using tape to pull a fingerprint from it. by Ian Cummings

But, as Lawrence detectives Randy Glidewell and David Axman showed us, that's only the beginning of how messy real-life police work can be. At any given crime scene, investigators can expect to deal with blood spatter, teeth marks, bodily fluids, bad fingerprints and huge piles of dead flies. Our hands-on exercises Thursday night were thankfully limited to more routine types of evidence, and some of the more disgusting photos we looked at are not included here.

We did get our hands dirty, a little, in the aforementioned fingerprinting. The study of footprints provided other work, as we tried taking evidence-grade photographs from four angles and made casts of the prints with a mixture of dental stone and water.

Detective David Axman demonstrates using four angles, a scale, and flash photography to take evidence photos of a shoe print in dirt. by Ian Cummings

The whole practice of forensic investigation, as we learned, is based on Locard's Exchange Principle, which says that a perpetrator of a crime always carries away traces of the victim. The opposite is also true, that victims take away traces of the perpetrator.

That principle leads investigators to examine all kinds of gory material. When criminals try to clean the blood from a crime scene, detectives can use a chemical called luminol, or Bluestar, to make it appear in the dark. They will use ultraviolet light to find, and run DNA tests on, semen left on a bed sheet. They will study the life cycle of houseflies to interpret the piles of maggots and the swarming flies around a man who's been hanging in an attic for 10 hot summer days.

Some perpetrators leave more traces than others. Because fingerprints are made in part by oils on the skin, which are controlled by hormones, children don't normally leave behind visible fingerprints. A nervous adult criminal, on the other hand, wiping off his sweaty forehead before touching things, may leave the best prints of all.

To preserve the more difficult fingerprints, investigators will sometimes coat them in a mist of vaporized Super Glue. The glue holds oils and amino acids in place to allow investigators to make several attempts at pulling the print without destroying it.

The department's mobile crime scene investigation truck has a Super Glue machine designed just for that purpose, and we had the chance to inspect it ourselves.

This machine, in the Lawrence Police Department's mobile crime scene investigation truck, uses a mist of Super Glue to give fingerprints a protective coating before leaving the crime scene. by Ian Cummings

In my own exercise with fingerprinting, I could have used the help of that machine. After brushing on too much black power and smoothing tape over irregular corners, I pulled the tape off and squinted at my own badly-rendered fingerprint. I doubted I could convict myself. It was some consolation to learn that fingerprints only successfully identify suspects about 6 percent of the time.

Walking out of Thursday night's class, we could see Locard's Principle at work among us. We took away with us, from Day 6, ink-stained thumbs and a new understanding of forensic science. We left behind shoe prints in slowly-drying plaster casts, which we will examine when we return Tuesday.

The mixture of water and dental stone takes hours to dry, but could provide a unique likeness of a suspect's shoe. by Ian Cummings

In the meantime I noted the titles of some important texts on crime scene investigation that we saw in class, so I will have some homework to do over the weekend.

Two textbooks on homicide and crime scene investigation used by detectives in the Lawrence Police Department. by Ian Cummings

To see Shaun Hittle's Day 5 post, The murder of Onzie Branch, click here.

If they'd kept their mouths shut, Damon McCray would've gotten away with murder.

But as we learned in Day 5 of the Citizen's Police Academy, people, even when it means selling out their lovers and friends, talk.

Lawrence Police Sgt. Mike Pattrick walked us through the investigation of the August 1996 murder of Onzie Branch, a Topeka gang member.

Branch was shot when he was outside what is now the Magic Lounge, which back then was Langston's nightclub. It's the bar that's tucked behind the McDonald's on 23rd Street.

With hundreds of witnesses coming out of the club at closing time, someone peered out from behind a van and shot Branch, striking him in the head. Branch bled out on his way to the hospital.

The two other gang members riding with Branch that day, however, were not cooperative, and Pattrick said it took police five hours to positively identify the two, who initially gave police aliases. Stuck with uncooperative victims, police had to resort to a variety of investigative tactics, including staking out Branch's Topeka funeral.

The break in the case came when a confidential informant strapped on a wire for police, and headed straight into gang headquarters. "That one made me nervous," Pattrick said.

But the informant came back with a name, Damon McCray, and from there, police interviewed McCray's girlfriend, Shanee Blue, who eventually told police McCray confessed to her and asked her to lie about where he was the night of the murder.

Damon McCray by Shaun Hittle

One of McCray's friends, who drove McCray away shortly after the shooting, also said McCray admitted to the murder. Add in a fingerprint police found on the van where McCray braced himself before shooting Branch, and it was enough to convict him of murder.

But had everyone just kept silent, there would've been no conviction, Patrrick said.

The case was eventually overturned on appeal, but McCray was charged again and later pleaded guilty to lesser charges. He was released from prison in 2010, but soon went back for a drug crime. He's currently on parole and living in McPherson County.

About murder

Several times throughout the academy so far, police and even Chief Tarik Khatib have spoken with pride about their 100 percent homicide clearance rate.

Records prior to the 1980s are a little spotty, but every murder in Lawrence in the past several decades has been solved, though the family of one victim argues that's not the case in a murder from the late 1970s.

Knocking on wood, Lawrence has been fortunate in the past few years, with no recorded homicides in the city since the 2008. As a crime buff, I've taken particular interest in murders in Lawrence, and in 2010, we compiled the list of murders in the past decade. Since 2000, the city has seen 19 murders, all of which have led to convictions.

804 W. 24th St. in the spotlight again

It struck me as ironic that this past weekend, there was another gun-related arrest at 804 W. 24th St. Though the location has changed hands numerous times over the years (anyone remember NiteOwls, the failed "clothing optional" club from the early 1990s?), crime has been a constant at that spot, which was most recently Taste Lounge, before switching to Magic Lounge last year.

by Shaun Hittle

On Sunday, police were patrolling the Magic parking lot and spotted a gun partially hidden under the seat of a car, waited for the owner to come out of the club, and arrested convicted felon Dion M. Jones.

For a fun read, and to get a better sense of how police were able to arrest Jones, check out the federal indictment here.


• Day Four: robbery, homicide and crimes against children
• Day Three: Gangs, gun and peyote
• Day Two: Reports from the field
• Training Day

As they are on most weekends, law enforcement officers in Douglas County were kept plenty busy this Saturday morning.

Here are some of this morning's numbers;

• 7 Total arrests
• 6 Disturbances
• 2 Attempts to flee from officers
• 2 OUI/DWI related arrests
• 2 Reports of gunshots (same area/time)
• 1 Non-injury accident

The first of which was reported just before 12:30 a.m. at Tonic Lounge, 728 Massachusetts Street. A caller reported a man had "pulled a knife on staff." Officers caught up with a man matching the description a short distance away, behind 722 Massachusetts Street. No injuries or arrests were reported related to this incident.

Just after 1 a.m., Police were involved in a foot pursuit with a man in the 800 block of Vermont Street. Officers caught up with him in the 1000 block of Vermont Street. At the time, it was unclear why the man was running but, after he was booked it became clear. This morning the 19-year-old man faces charges including interference with the duties of an officer, public urination, possession of alcohol by a minor, and consumption/possession of liquor in public.

Next, officers were off to the area of W 25th Street and Redbud Lane following two reports of gunshots heard in the area. Callers reported between two and five gunshots heard in the area around 1:45 a.m.. Five officers checked the area but, did not report locating anything in the area.

Lawrence Police were called to a hit and run non-injury accident near 10th & Alabama at 2:21 a.m.. KU Police located the suspect vehicle abandoned on Alabama Street just north of Fambrough Drive. KU Police reported that LPD had located the driver a short time later. As of this report, no arrests have been recorded related to the activity.

Just before 2:45 a.m., KU Police were called to Learned Hall, 1530 W. 15th Street, on a report of an alarm sounding. The officer located an "emergency shower" which had been activated. After shutting off the water and silencing the alarm, the officer reported a quarter inch of water on the floor. It was unclear if the water had done any damage to any rooms.

At 2:59 a.m., Lawrence Police and Firefighters were called to the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity house on a reported structure fire. A caller had reported that there was smoke in both staircases. Officers arrived to find that there was no smoke, only an "accidental discharge" of a fire extinguisher. Firefighters arrived and quickly confirmed that there was no smoke or fire.

At 4:38 a.m., six Lawrence Police units were assigned to a domestic disturbance call in the 1100 block of Stone Meadows Drive after one of the involved parties decided that he could outrun officers. Needless to say, he was proved wrong and was taken into custody a short distance away. He now faces a total of six charges, three related to outstanding warrants. The new charges are all related to the domestic and his decision to run from officers. Those charges include domestic battery, criminal restraint and obstruction of the legal process.

Some of the activity blogged above was reported as it was unfolding by Operation 100 News. Learn how to receive breaking news updates here. For a full look at incidents from Douglas and Johnson counties this morning, take a look at the Operation 100 News twitter feed using the link above.

The activity blogged here is only a sampling of some of the things that Douglas County Law Enforcement and Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical respond on. To see a complete list of Lawrence Police activity, the department has that available on their website along with several easy to use maps that show approximate locations for Police activity.

My listening hours as well as contact information is located on my Facebook page. Don't forget to give me a "Like" while you are there.