Man Shoots, Wounds 2 Kansas Deputies, Then Shoots Himself

A man shot and wounded two deputies Tuesday at a sheriff’s office, then shot himself as authorities closed in on him after a chase in north-central Kansas.

The suspect entered the Jewell County Sheriff’s Office in Mankato around 8 a.m., said Kansas Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Melissa Underwood. There was a “disturbance,” the man shot the deputies and fled.

Underwood didn’t describe the nature of the disturbance in the sheriff’s office, but said the suspect wasn’t an inmate.

The Kansas Highway Patrol said a trooper spotted the suspect’s vehicle about 45 minutes later, 35 miles southeast of Mankato, near Glasco. He drove another 20 miles before letting out passengers, then took off again.

A trooper performed a “tactical vehicle intervention” at 9:11 a.m. The suspect lost control of the vehicle. Troopers found him inside the vehicle with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No information has been released on his condition.

Jewell County Sheriff Don Jacobs said in a news release that investigators are working to determine exactly what happened.

One deputy is scheduled to undergo surgery at a Salina hospital, and his condition is unknown at this time, the sheriff’s office said. The other deputy was treated at an area hospital for his injuries and is expected to be released later Tuesday.

Authorities have declined to release any names until relatives are notified.

Mankato is about 150 miles north of Wichita.