LEAVENWORHT, Kan. — A 32-year-old man shot by police in Leavenworth, Kansas earlier this year was found guilty Friday of two counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer.
Donald Sidney Barden Jr., of Leavenworth, was also convicted for residential burglary, auto burglary and felony criminal damage to property, according to Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson.
In the early morning hours of February 13, 2022, officers from both the Leavenworth and Lansing Police Departments responded to the intersection of 5th Street and Seneca Streets, in Leavenworth, after a caller reported that there was a man with a gun at that location.
When officers arrived on scene they contacted Barden, who was standing in the middle of the intersection armed with a Glock pistol.
Officers immediately took cover and began attempts to de-escalate the situation and convince Barden to put his gun on the ground. He refused to do so, and approximately one and a half hours after officers first made contact with Barden, he raised his gun and ran towards the officers, making the officers believe it was his intention to shoot them, according to court documents.
Faced with no other choice, a Leavenworth officer shot Barden several times, including in the groin, causing him to fall to the ground. Officers immediately began to render first aid to Barden, and he was taken to an area hospital.
Barden’s gun was found to be unloaded, but that fact was impossible for the officers to determine while Barden was wielding it. He was released from the hospital and booked into the Leavenworth County Jail on February 23. Barden has since recovered from his injuries.
Sentencing is set for October 28 at 11 a.m.
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