SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that left a man dead and after asking the public for help, received a tip through crime-stoppers and arrested 42-year-old David Pressley.

At approximately 12:30 a.m., on Sunday Sept. 29, officers were dispatched to a shooting call at Magoos Bar and Grill located in the 2300 block of S. Oliver. Upon arrival, officers located the scene of a shooting, but no victim was located. Shortly after, 29-year-old Demario Cooks arrived by private vehicle at an area hospital with critical injuries. Cooks later died of his injuries.

On Saturday night, police located Pressley at 13^th and Perry and he was arrested without incident.

He is being held on a $250,000 bond on charge of second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of narcotics, unlawful possession of hallucinogenics and a Kansas Department of Corrections warrant.

Pressley  has ten previous convictions for aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that left a man dead and asking the public for help in locating 42-year-old David Pressley.

Pressley currently has a Kansas Department of Corrections Arrest and Detain order and investigators are wanting to speak to him in reference to Sunday’s criminal homicide in the parking lot of Magoos Bar and Grill in the 2300 block of South Oliver, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting call outside the bar, according to officer Kevin Wheeler. Upon arrival, officers located the scene of a shooting, but no victim was located.

Shortly after, the victim identified as 29-year-old Demario Cooks of Wichita arrived by private vehicle at an area hospital with critical injuries and later died, according to Police Captain Brent Allred.

The preliminary investigation has revealed that the Cooks was inside the bar attending a birthday party, and a disturbance occurred between several other men. They moved into the parking lot, and multiple shots were fired, striking the victim.

If you know the whereabouts of Pressley, please call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An autopsy reports says a 50-year-old Topeka woman suffered methamphetamine intoxication when she collapsed and died while fleeing a home she apparently was burglarizing.

The report, released Friday, said her death in June was accidental, according to a copy of the report from the Shawnee County District Court Clerk’s office.

Topeka police Lt. Andrew Beightel said officers found Henderson had collapsed near a home. The autopsy said she fled the home and was seen on video collapsing three times.

Kansas Department of Corrections records show Henderson was paroled in 2012 after serving prison time for two counts each of burglary, robbery and theft and one count each of aggravated robbery and obstructing the legal process. The crimes were committed in Shawnee, Wyandotte, Butler and Sedgwick counties.

SHAWNEE COUNTY– Law enforcement authorities are investigating the second fatal weekend shooting in Topeka.

Shortly after 2:30 a.m., Sunday police responded to the 1100 block of SW Polk on a report of shooting, according to Lt. Jennifer Cross.

Officers located a later identified as Antonio Clark, 37, Topeka, suffering from life threatening gunshot wounds. 

He was transported to a local hospital where he died, according to Cross.

Police released no additional details and have not reported an arrest. A 45-year-old man died after a shooting early Saturday morning in Topeka.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in the July 2018 beating and stabbing deaths of his estranged wife and her cousin.

Bradley Sportsman, 41, of Hollenberg, man entered the plea Friday in Shawnee County District Court and faces nearly 46 years in prison when he’s sentenced Nov. 20.

Sportsman is one of three men charged in the Topeka home invasion deaths of 28-year-old Lisa Sportsman and her 17-year-old cousin, Jesse Polinskey. Police say the women had been stabbed and beaten to death.

A first-degree murder trial is set Dec. 9 for 32-year-old Richard D. Showalter, of Greenleaf. Twenty-year-old Matthew Hutto, of Clay Center, was sentenced to two life terms after pleading guilty to two first-degree murder counts. Hutto is seeking to withdraw that plea and has a Nov. 15 hearing on the motion.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Two men opened fire inside a bar in Kansas City, Kansas, early Sunday, killing four people and wounding five others in a shooting believed to have stemmed from an earlier dispute, police said.

Authorities were searching Sunday for the two gunmen, said Officer Thomas Tomasic, a police spokesman. He said the two men had apparently gotten into some sort of disagreement with people inside Tequila KC Bar, left, then returned with handguns.

“We think there was something that happened in the bar earlier probably,” Tomasic said. “Unfortunately, they left and decided to take it to another level, came back and started shooting.”

Around 40 people were inside the small bar when gunfire erupted around 1:30 a.m., Tomasic said. The gunfire sent people running for the exits, with the injured leaving trails of blood as they fled. One of the injured was trying to get a ride to the hospital when ambulances arrived.

“It’s a pretty small bar, so if you have two guys come in and start shooting, people are just running, running anywhere they can,” Tomasic said.

All four men who were killed were Hispanic, but Tomasic said authorities do not believe the shooting was racially motivated. The shooting happened in a neighborhood with a large Hispanic population.

Tomasic cautioned that police were still investigating exactly what happened. He said they were reviewing surveillance video and interviewing witnesses while looking for the gunmen.

“Obviously being a bar at 1:30, stories vary a lot,” he said.

Among the dead was one man in his late 50s, another in his mid-30s and two in their mid-20s, police said. Authorities did not immediately release their names.

However, Juan Ramirez, of Kansas City, Kansas, told The Kansas City Star that his 29-year-old nephew was among those killed. He said his nephew left behind a 6-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter.

“I don’t wish this upon anybody,” Ramirez said.

Bartender Jose Valdez told the newspaper that he had refused to serve one of the suspects on Saturday night because the man had previously caused problems at the bar. Valdez said the man threw a cup at him and left, but returned later with another man shortly before closing time.

The gunfire created smoke inside the business, Valdez said, and he thought the building was “going to cave in.”

“I don’t know what to make of it. A sad day for everybody who lost their lives and their families,” he said, choking up. “How can you go into a place full of people and just start shooting?”

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a pair of armed robberies and have made an arrest.

Just before 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, police responded to an armed robbery at the Family Dollar in the 2300 block of South Seneca in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

Upon arrival, an employee reported an unknown suspect entered the business, pointed a handgun at her and demanded money. Money was taken by the suspect who fled on foot.

Just before 11a.m.  Thursday, police  responded to an armed robbery at Family Dollar in the 1000 block of South Meridian in Wichita. Upon arrival, an employee reported an unknown suspect entered the business, pointed a handgun at her and demanded money. Money was taken by the suspect who fled on foot.

No injuries occurred in either case, according to Davidson.

Through the investigation, investigators were able to identify 25-year-old Toney Williams of Topeka allegedly being involved in the two crimes.

He was arrested this Friday in the 500 block of Chautauqua from a vehicle.He is being held requested charges that include two counts of aggravated robbery regarding two armed robberies and two warrants, according to Davidson.

 

 

By STEPHEN KORANDA
Kansas News Service

TOPEKA – Kansas lawmakers spent years imposing ever tougher restrictions on abortion and then saw the state Supreme Court declare that women hold a right to the procedure.

Now Republicans and abortion opponents appear determined to amend the Kansas Constitution to reverse that ruling.

They’re looking to protect years of wins on the contentious issue, efforts that peaked during the term of Republican then-Gov. Sam Brownback. Those anti-abortion victories included blocking most abortions after the 21st week of pregnancy and requiring parental consent for minors to get an abortion.

Groups such as the influential Kansans for Life warn that the high court’s ruling earlier this year puts those laws in danger.

“They’re in jeopardy,” said Jeanne Gawdun, a senior lobbyist for Kansans for Life. “The Legislature’s been able to enact over 25 different pro-life provisions, because it’s the will of the people.”

That risk is a rallying cry for conservative lawmakers. On Wednesday, a special committee made up of members from the Kansas House and Senate recommended an amendment to the state constitution. They want to specify in the document that there is no right to abortion.

Changing the Kansas Constitution is no easy task. Both the Kansas House and Senate would have to approve an amendment with a two-thirds majority. Then the issue would go on a ballot for a statewide vote.

“All Kansans should be concerned about this matter,” Republican Senator Eric Rucker said after the committee vote. “(They) have a right to vote on whether or not to uphold this most unusual decision by the Supreme Court.”

Republicans hold large majorities in both chambers of the Kansas Legislature. The GOP has 84 of the 125 seats in the House, the exact number of votes needed to approve a constitutional amendment. In the Senate, 27 of 40 senators must approve a constitutional amendment and Republicans hold 29 seats.

In both chambers, a few moderate-leaning Republicans will be critical swing votes. Lawmakers narrowly failed to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of an abortion bill last session. An override requires the same two-thirds majority as a constitutional amendment.

As some Republicans rally behind the threat of undoing abortion restrictions, Democrats are preparing to push back.

“It completely opposes our platform,” Kansas Democratic Party Chair Vicki Hiatt said. “We strongly believe in a woman’s right to choose.”

The lawsuit that triggered the Kansas Supreme Court’s landmark decision this year is still pending. The high court clarified that the state constitution promises abortion rights and sent the case back to a lower court.

Because of that uncertainty, Democratic Rep. Pam Curtis said it’s unclear that existing abortion restrictions will be wiped out. She served on the committee that recommended a constitutional change and voted against the proposal.

“We really don’t know that yet,” she said. “We’re already jumping to a conclusion.”

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for the Kansas News Service, Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda or email skoranda (at) ku (dot) edu.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— One person died in an accident just before 11:30p.m. Saturday in Sedgwick County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Suzuki motorcycle driven by Dalton J. Heard,20, Wichita, was eastbound on Kansas 96 at 21st Street at a high rate of speed. The driver was unable to negotiate the curve, went into median, and struck guardrail.

Heard was pronounced dead at the scene. He was wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

ENID, Okla. (AP) — A woman was shot in the thigh when a dog inside the vehicle with her jumped onto a back seat console, causing a gun under the console to fire.

Tina Springer was in the passenger seat of the vehicle that had stopped Thursday to wait for a train in Enid in northern Oklahoma. The yellow Labrador retriever, which belongs to the 79-year-old driver Brent Parks, was in the back seat and jumped onto the folding console. That’s when the .22-caliber handgun under the console went off.

Police say cloth from the seat covers could have gotten into the trigger well of the gun, making it discharge.

The 44-year-old Springer, who lives in Nash, Oklahoma, and is Parks’ caretaker, was taken to a hospital for treatment of a serious injury.

Police say Parks told them the gun isn’t usually loaded.

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita woman was sentenced today to 40 months in federal prison for taking part in four commercial robberies, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Savannah Cole, 22, Wichita,  pleaded guilty to four counts of robbery. In her plea, she admitted committing the following robberies:

The Dollar General Store, 915 S. Glendale in Wichita, Nov. 22, 2017. Cole admitted she and co-defendant Kenneth W. Cade, 29, Wichita, Kan., went into the store together to rob it. Cade pointed a gun at an employee and demanded money a the C-Store, 837 S. Oliver in Wichita, Feb. 7, 2018. Cole admitted she pointed a gun at an employee and demanded money. Cade stayed outside as a lookout.

At the Arby’s, 4308 E. Harry in Wichita, Feb. 14, 2018. Cole and Cade went into the store to rob it. Cade pointed a firearm at an employee and demanded money and at Circle K Store, 515 N. Seneca in Wichita, Feb. 14, 2018. Cole and Cade went into the store to rob it. Cole pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money. Cade grabbed the cash.

Last month, co-defendant Cade was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.