Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said Friday there will be no criminal charges against a Wichita police officer who shot and killed a 37-year-old man during a standoff that resulted from a domestic violence incident in 2020.

Officers were called to a home at 937 North Faulkner around 7 a.m. on December 30th, 2020.   Neighbors reported hearing shots and police were told that Jason Williams shot his mother-in-law, 52-year-old Michelle Barr.   Officers later found Ms. Barr inside the home, dead from several gunshot wounds.    Williams also shot his 30-year-old wife, who later recovered.   Police began negotiations with Williams and he said he would allow his two children and his wife out of the home.  The children were released but officers then saw Williams and his wife at the back door, and it appeared he was refusing to let her leave.  An officer believed the wife was in danger and that the mother-in-law was still in need of medical attention inside the home.  The officer fired one shot, striking and killing Williams.

Bennett said the investigation found that Williams had fired dozens of shots into the home before shooting the two women inside.  Bennett said the officer determined that not taking action would have likely cost the life of Williams’ wife.   Bennett said the officer acted in lawful self-defense of a third party in this situation.

The officer who fired the shot later received a text message from a Sedgwick County deputy who was under investigation for domestic violence and stalking.  The deputy also was a subject of an investigation by the Wichita Police Department into questionable text messages exchanged between police officers.    The deputy texted the officer that he was an “ultimate de-escalator.”  Bennett said this private text message, sent months later, may well fall below the public’s expectation of professionalism for law enforcement officers, but it does not change the clear facts of the case or the legality of the officer’s decision to fire at Williams.