WRITER: Sara Shepherd

Lawrence police report 1 bias complaint in past year; no appeal made to new citizen oversight board

The Lawrence Police Department received one racial or other bias-based policing complaint over the past year, the department reported to a citizen oversight board this week. After receiving the complaint in September, the department’s Office of Professional Accountability investigated and closed the matter in May, according to the report. The involved officer, who was not named in the report, was exonerated. ...

Prosecutors want teens tried as adults in Holcom Park double shooting case

Prosecutors are now asking for two teens charged in a double shooting case to be tried as adults instead of juveniles. Motions to authorize their prosecutions as adults were filed Wednesday in the cases of Benson J. Edwards Jr., 17, and Sahavione K. Caraway, 17, both of Topeka, Douglas County District Court records show. Assistant District Attorney Bryant Barton wrote in his motions that he would present ...

Sixth Street reopened after gas leak west of downtown

Story updated: 9:42 a.m. Thursday. Sixth Street has reopened after being shut down because of a gas leak in a construction area Thursday morning. The street was reopened about 9:40 a.m., Lawrence Police Department spokesman Patrick Compton said. He said it had been closed to traffic in both directions between Ohio and Tennessee streets for close to 30 minutes, until Black Hills Energy arrived on scene and ...

KCMO man convicted in Lawrence Motel 6 murder case after plea to lesser crime

Shawn K. Smith — charged with first-degree felony murder from a man’s death in a 2017 hotel room shootout — was going to get a second trial this fall. Instead, Smith entered a plea and was convicted of a less severe crime Thursday in Douglas County District Court. Smith, 20, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded no contest to robbery, with the judge finding the crime was committed with a deadly weapon, said ...

Decision delayed for one-time Lawrence rape suspect who violated probation

The next step for a one-time Lawrence rape suspect who violated his probation won’t be decided this week. A judge on Wednesday bumped a probation violation hearing for Jared L. Wheeler, 24, until July 25. “I want to make sure we have time for a thorough hearing,” Douglas County District Court Judge Amy Hanley said. Wheeler’s appointed attorney, Charles Whitman, wants to present evidence to support ...

Woman arrested on felony charges after reportedly hitting man with bottle, kicking police

A woman was arrested overnight after allegedly hitting a man with a glass bottle, then kicking police officers who subsequently arrested her. Police responded about 2:20 a.m. Wednesday to the 1200 block of Oread Avenue, where the woman had reportedly hit the man with a bottle, Lawrence Police Department spokesman Patrick Compton said. Compton said the woman resisted being arrested and, after being handcuffed, ...