SEDGWICK COUNTY—&nbsp;the lead detective assigned to the investigation into the mass shooting that injured over a dozen people at the “City Lightz Nightclub in the 200 Block Washington in the Old Town section of Wichita on Sunday morning, presented the results of the investigation to the Office of the District Attorney, according to a statement from District Attorney Marc Bennett.&nbsp;

The subject of the presentation was 31-year-old suspect Brandon Lee Young of Florissant, Missouri, who had ben booked on suspicion of Aggravated Battery following the incident. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;Based on the current status of the investigation, Young was not charged Thursday morning.&nbsp; &nbsp;Additional investigation and forensic analysis will continue and Young will be released from custody, according to Bennett.

Additional suspects are currently being sought by law enforcement.&nbsp; As such, Supreme Court rule 3.6 limits the district attorney office’s ability to make further comment. &nbsp;Rule 3.8, which specifically governs the “Special Responsibilities of a Prosecutor,” allows one exception under §(f):

(f) &nbsp; except for statements that are necessary to inform the public of the nature and extent of the prosecutor’s action and that serve a legitimate law enforcement purpose, refrain from making extrajudicial comments that have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused and exercise reasonable care to prevent investigators, law enforcement personnel, employees or other persons assisting or associated with the prosecutor in a criminal case from making an extrajudicial statement that the prosecutor would be prohibited from making under Rule 3.6 or this Rule.

Given the legitimate public concern in this matter, a brief explanation as to the analysis regarding the evidence presented on Thursday morning against Young is appropriate.&nbsp;

Video surveillance from inside the club was analyzed over the past several days.&nbsp; Based upon this detailed analysis, Young appears to have fired a weapon in response to shots fired by two different gunmen within the bar. &nbsp;

Based upon the current status of the evidence, Mr. Young appears to have acted in self-defense/ defense of a third party.&nbsp; The law that controls this analysis is as follows:

21-5222.&nbsp;Same; defense of a person; no duty to retreat.&nbsp;(a) A person is justified in the use of force against another when and to the extent it appears to such person and such person reasonably believes that such use of force is necessary to defend such person or a third person against such other's imminent use of unlawful force.

(b) A person is justified in the use of deadly force under circumstances described in subsection (a) if such person reasonably believes that such use of deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to such person or a third person.

(c) Nothing in this section shall require a person to retreat if such person is using force to protect such person or a third person.

21-5230.&nbsp;Same; no duty to retreat.&nbsp;A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in a place where such person has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand such person's ground and use any force which such person would be justified in using under article 32 of chapter 21 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, prior to their repeal, or K.S.A. 2022 Supp.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0002.html" target="_blank">21-5202</a>&nbsp;through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0008.html" target="_blank">21-5208</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0010.html" target="_blank">21-5210</a>&nbsp;through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0012.html" target="_blank">21-5212</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0020.html" target="_blank">21-5220</a>&nbsp;through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0031.html" target="_blank">21-5231</a>, and amendments thereto.

21-5231.&nbsp;Same; immunity from prosecution or liability; investigation.&nbsp;(a) A person who uses force which, subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 2022 Supp.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0026.html" target="_blank">21-5226</a>, and amendments thereto, is justified pursuant to K.S.A. 2022 Supp.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0022.html" target="_blank">21-5222</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0023.html" target="_blank">21-5223</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0025.html" target="_blank">21-5225</a>, and amendments thereto, is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of such force, unless the person against whom force was used is a law enforcement officer who was acting in the performance of such officer's official duties and the officer identified the officer's self in accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person was a law enforcement officer. As used in this subsection, "criminal prosecution" includes arrest, detention in custody and charging or prosecution of the defendant.

(b) A law enforcement agency may use standard procedures for investigating the use of force as described in subsection (a), but the agency shall not arrest the person for using force unless it determines that there is probable cause for the arrest.

(c) A prosecutor may commence a criminal prosecution upon a determination of probable cause.

To overcome self-defense/ stand your ground immunity, the State must come forward with evidence establishing probable cause that the defendant's use of force was not statutorily justified. “This generally means the State must show probable cause that (1) the defendant did not honestly believe the use of force was necessary or (2) a reasonable person would not believe the use of force was necessary under the circumstances.”&nbsp;State v. Phillips, 312 Kan. 643, Syl. 4 (2021).

The Office of the District Attorney will make no further commentary regarding the facts of this investigation or the analysis concerning Mr. Young while the investigation is ongoing.&nbsp;

Any subsequent charging decisions arising from this investigation will be made public when they occur, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688300318332.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—&nbsp;the lead detective assigned to the investigation into the mass shooting that injured over a dozen people at the “City Lightz Nightclub in the 200 Block Washington in the Old Town section of Wichita on Sunday morning, presented the results of the investigation to the Office of the District Attorney, according to a statement from District Attorney Marc Bennett.&nbsp;The subject of the presentation was 31-year-old suspect Brandon Lee Young of Florissant, Missouri, who had ben booked on suspicion of Aggravated Battery following the incident. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Based on the current status of the investigation, Young was not charged Thursday morning.&nbsp; &nbsp;Additional investigation and forensic analysis will continue and Young will be released from custody, according to Bennett.Additional suspects are currently being sought by law enforcement.&nbsp; As such, Supreme Court rule 3.6 limits the district attorney office’s ability to make further comment. &nbsp;Rule 3.8, which specifically governs the “Special Responsibilities of a Prosecutor,” allows one exception under §(f):(f) &nbsp; except for statements that are necessary to inform the public of the nature and extent of the prosecutor’s action and that serve a legitimate law enforcement purpose, refrain from making extrajudicial comments that have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused and exercise reasonable care to prevent investigators, law enforcement personnel, employees or other persons assisting or associated with the prosecutor in a criminal case from making an extrajudicial statement that the prosecutor would be prohibited from making under Rule 3.6 or this Rule.Given the legitimate public concern in this matter, a brief explanation as to the analysis regarding the evidence presented on Thursday morning against Young is appropriate.&nbsp;Video surveillance from inside the club was analyzed over the past several days.&nbsp; Based upon this detailed analysis, Young appears to have fired a weapon in response to shots fired by two different gunmen within the bar. &nbsp;Based upon the current status of the evidence, Mr. Young appears to have acted in self-defense/ defense of a third party.&nbsp; The law that controls this analysis is as follows:21-5222.&nbsp;Same; defense of a person; no duty to retreat.&nbsp;(a) A person is justified in the use of force against another when and to the extent it appears to such person and such person reasonably believes that such use of force is necessary to defend such person or a third person against such other's imminent use of unlawful force.(b) A person is justified in the use of deadly force under circumstances described in subsection (a) if such person reasonably believes that such use of deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to such person or a third person.(c) Nothing in this section shall require a person to retreat if such person is using force to protect such person or a third person.21-5230.&nbsp;Same; no duty to retreat.&nbsp;A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in a place where such person has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand such person's ground and use any force which such person would be justified in using under article 32 of chapter 21 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, prior to their repeal, or K.S.A. 2022 Supp.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0002.html" target="_blank">21-5202</a>&nbsp;through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0008.html" target="_blank">21-5208</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0010.html" target="_blank">21-5210</a>&nbsp;through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0012.html" target="_blank">21-5212</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0020.html" target="_blank">21-5220</a>&nbsp;through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0031.html" target="_blank">21-5231</a>, and amendments thereto.21-5231.&nbsp;Same; immunity from prosecution or liability; investigation.&nbsp;(a) A person who uses force which, subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 2022 Supp.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0026.html" target="_blank">21-5226</a>, and amendments thereto, is justified pursuant to K.S.A. 2022 Supp.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0022.html" target="_blank">21-5222</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0023.html" target="_blank">21-5223</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch21/021_052_0025.html" target="_blank">21-5225</a>, and amendments thereto, is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of such force, unless the person against whom force was used is a law enforcement officer who was acting in the performance of such officer's official duties and the officer identified the officer's self in accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person was a law enforcement officer. As used in this subsection, "criminal prosecution" includes arrest, detention in custody and charging or prosecution of the defendant.(b) A law enforcement agency may use standard procedures for investigating the use of force as described in subsection (a), but the agency shall not arrest the person for using force unless it determines that there is probable cause for the arrest.(c) A prosecutor may commence a criminal prosecution upon a determination of probable cause.To overcome self-defense/ stand your ground immunity, the State must come forward with evidence establishing probable cause that the defendant's use of force was not statutorily justified. “This generally means the State must show probable cause that (1) the defendant did not honestly believe the use of force was necessary or (2) a reasonable person would not believe the use of force was necessary under the circumstances.”&nbsp;State v. Phillips, 312 Kan. 643, Syl. 4 (2021).The Office of the District Attorney will make no further commentary regarding the facts of this investigation or the analysis concerning Mr. Young while the investigation is ongoing.&nbsp;Any subsequent charging decisions arising from this investigation will be made public when they occur, according to the district attorney's office.

DA: Suspect accused in Wichita mass shooting acted in self defense

WASHINGTON (AP) — A year after its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">sweeping gun rights ruling</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;agreed to decide whether judges are going too far in striking down restrictions on firearms.

The justices will hear the Biden administration's appeal of one such ruling that struck down as unconstitutional a federal law meant to keep guns away from people who have domestic violence restraining orders against them.

Arguments will take place in the fall in the first case in which the court could define the limits on new standards for evaluating gun laws that its conservative majority set out last June.

That decision in the case, which has come to be known as Bruen, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mississippi-state-government-delaware-california-massachusetts-3983cecfd1107c263d5309ec0d80a966">upended gun laws across the country.</a>&nbsp;It's led to a rash of rulings invalidating some long-standing restrictions on firearms, but also produced confusion about what laws can survive.

Governments have to justify gun control laws by showing they are “consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in an opinion that was joined by the other five conservative justices. Until that ruling, judges could consider whether a law serves public interests such as enhancing public safety.

In the past year, judges also have struck down federal laws barring people from having guns if they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-texas-donald-trump-gun-politics-indictments-8f33eb6f21597e6ee63272aa64d32520">have been charged with serious crimes</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-oklahoma-state-government-new-orleans-city-c79d6fedc97ba657d2cab17f59354a95">use marijuana</a>. Other rulings have called into question a federal ban on possessing guns with serial numbers removed,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/young-gun-buyers-ruling-9165143fcab00ea733c703e5572e0730">the prohibition on licensed federal firearms dealers selling handguns</a>&nbsp;to young adults under 21 and Delaware’s ban on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-gun-politics-delaware-dover-39cc2a436ba0df094e9474ebd8d3d75d">possession of homemade “ghost guns.”</a>

Lower courts are also considering challenges to states’ bans on the sale of so-called assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. The Supreme Court in May&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-illinois-gun-law-14bcad1bf2ee322b0517086755b8ff56">denied an emergency request</a>&nbsp;to put an Illinois law on hold while that court challenge plays out.

The case now before the court involves Zackey Rahimi, whose conviction on possessing guns while subject to a restraining order was thrown out by a panel of three Republican appointees on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Rahimi was involved in five shootings over two months in and around Arlington, Texas, U.S. Circuit Judge Cory Wilson noted. When police identified Rahimi as a suspect in the shootings and showed up at his home with a search warrant, Rahimi admitted both to having guns in the house and being subject to a domestic violence restraining order that prohibited gun possession, Wilson wrote.

But though “hardly a model citizen,” Rahimi did not lose his constitutional right to have guns, Wilson concluded. The law at issue could not be justified by looking to history, he wrote for a unanimous panel.

Wilson and Judge James Ho were nominated by President Donald Trump. The third judge, Edith Jones, was chosen by President Ronald Reagan.

The appeals court initially upheld the conviction, then reconsidered once the Supreme Court ruled in Bruen. At least one district court has upheld the law since the Bruen decision

Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, cited an earlier high court decision involving gun bans for domestic violence convictions to urge the justices to take up the case. “More than a million acts of domestic violence occur in the United States every year, and the presence of a firearm increases the chance that violence will escalate to homicide,” Prelogar wrote.

On the day the court finished deciding the cases argued in recent months, the legal fight over a gun law was among six cases that the justices added to their agenda for the term that begins on the first Monday in October.

—a Biden administration appeal of a 5th Circuit ruling that could have far-reaching effects on the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory agencies. The appeals court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-new-orleans-government-and-politics-executive-branch-a6a6c0e83238d0e5e55aedd9eb0ab85f">threw out stiff financial penalties imposed on hedge fund manager George R. Jarkesy by the SEC</a>.

—a question about whether workers can pursue job discrimination claims under federal civil rights law when those workers are not demoted or docked pay. The case taken up by the court involve a sex discrimination claim by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-sexual-misconduct-missouri-tigers-mens-basketball-crime-4b6259d5f0745c0534dc1637024329ec">a St. Louis police sergeant</a>&nbsp;who was transferred against her will.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A year after its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">sweeping gun rights ruling</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;agreed to decide whether judges are going too far in striking down restrictions on firearms.The justices will hear the Biden administration's appeal of one such ruling that struck down as unconstitutional a federal law meant to keep guns away from people who have domestic violence restraining orders against them.Arguments will take place in the fall in the first case in which the court could define the limits on new standards for evaluating gun laws that its conservative majority set out last June.That decision in the case, which has come to be known as Bruen, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mississippi-state-government-delaware-california-massachusetts-3983cecfd1107c263d5309ec0d80a966">upended gun laws across the country.</a>&nbsp;It's led to a rash of rulings invalidating some long-standing restrictions on firearms, but also produced confusion about what laws can survive.Governments have to justify gun control laws by showing they are “consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in an opinion that was joined by the other five conservative justices. Until that ruling, judges could consider whether a law serves public interests such as enhancing public safety.In the past year, judges also have struck down federal laws barring people from having guns if they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-texas-donald-trump-gun-politics-indictments-8f33eb6f21597e6ee63272aa64d32520">have been charged with serious crimes</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-oklahoma-state-government-new-orleans-city-c79d6fedc97ba657d2cab17f59354a95">use marijuana</a>. Other rulings have called into question a federal ban on possessing guns with serial numbers removed,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/young-gun-buyers-ruling-9165143fcab00ea733c703e5572e0730">the prohibition on licensed federal firearms dealers selling handguns</a>&nbsp;to young adults under 21 and Delaware’s ban on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-gun-politics-delaware-dover-39cc2a436ba0df094e9474ebd8d3d75d">possession of homemade “ghost guns.”</a>Lower courts are also considering challenges to states’ bans on the sale of so-called assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. The Supreme Court in May&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-illinois-gun-law-14bcad1bf2ee322b0517086755b8ff56">denied an emergency request</a>&nbsp;to put an Illinois law on hold while that court challenge plays out.The case now before the court involves Zackey Rahimi, whose conviction on possessing guns while subject to a restraining order was thrown out by a panel of three Republican appointees on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.Rahimi was involved in five shootings over two months in and around Arlington, Texas, U.S. Circuit Judge Cory Wilson noted. When police identified Rahimi as a suspect in the shootings and showed up at his home with a search warrant, Rahimi admitted both to having guns in the house and being subject to a domestic violence restraining order that prohibited gun possession, Wilson wrote.But though “hardly a model citizen,” Rahimi did not lose his constitutional right to have guns, Wilson concluded. The law at issue could not be justified by looking to history, he wrote for a unanimous panel.Wilson and Judge James Ho were nominated by President Donald Trump. The third judge, Edith Jones, was chosen by President Ronald Reagan.The appeals court initially upheld the conviction, then reconsidered once the Supreme Court ruled in Bruen. At least one district court has upheld the law since the Bruen decisionSolicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, cited an earlier high court decision involving gun bans for domestic violence convictions to urge the justices to take up the case. “More than a million acts of domestic violence occur in the United States every year, and the presence of a firearm increases the chance that violence will escalate to homicide,” Prelogar wrote.On the day the court finished deciding the cases argued in recent months, the legal fight over a gun law was among six cases that the justices added to their agenda for the term that begins on the first Monday in October.The other cases include:—a Biden administration appeal of a 5th Circuit ruling that could have far-reaching effects on the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory agencies. The appeals court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-new-orleans-government-and-politics-executive-branch-a6a6c0e83238d0e5e55aedd9eb0ab85f">threw out stiff financial penalties imposed on hedge fund manager George R. Jarkesy by the SEC</a>.—a question about whether workers can pursue job discrimination claims under federal civil rights law when those workers are not demoted or docked pay. The case taken up by the court involve a sex discrimination claim by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-sexual-misconduct-missouri-tigers-mens-basketball-crime-4b6259d5f0745c0534dc1637024329ec">a St. Louis police sergeant</a>&nbsp;who was transferred against her will.

Supreme Court will decide gun rights case on domestic violence

OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 1:30a.m. Monday, a sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop at 1st and Maple in Overbrook for an alleged traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

 During the stop the deputy found illegal narcotics.&nbsp;

The driver of the vehicle, Brett A. Nelson, 52, of Topeka, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp; Possession of methamphetamine,&nbsp;Possession of marijuana, and No proof of liability insurance. He has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688417658810.png" alt="Nelson-photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Nelson-photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a traffic stop.Just after 1:30a.m. Monday, a sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop at 1st and Maple in Overbrook for an alleged traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop the deputy found illegal narcotics.&nbsp;The driver of the vehicle, Brett A. Nelson, 52, of Topeka, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp; Possession of methamphetamine,&nbsp;Possession of marijuana, and No proof of liability insurance. He has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kansas felon caught transported meth, marijuana

SEWARD COUNTY —The Liberal Police Department reported that Ricky Moore was located in Garden City, Kansas, and that he is in good condition. The statewide silver alert has been canceled, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

SEWARD COUNTY – The Liberal Police Department requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Liberal man.

The whereabouts of 71-year-old Ricky Moore are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him.

Ricky was last seen leaving his residence near 14th St. and N. New York Ave. in Liberal, Kansas on July 3, around 6:30 a.m. He has not been seen or heard from since then. 

Ricky did not show up to work or to other activities that he frequents, which is unlike him. He does not own a vehicle. Officers believe he may no longer been in the area.

Ricky is a black male who is around 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs around 200 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. Ricky walks with a cane due to concerns with his balance.

If you see Ricky Moore please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the Liberal Police/Seward County Communications at (620) 626-0141.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688673273759.png" alt="Ricky Moore-photo Liberal Police" />
 <figcaption>Ricky Moore-photo Liberal Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEWARD COUNTY —The Liberal Police Department reported that Ricky Moore was located in Garden City, Kansas, and that he is in good condition. The statewide silver alert has been canceled, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.------------SEWARD COUNTY – The Liberal Police Department requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Liberal man.The whereabouts of 71-year-old Ricky Moore are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him.Ricky was last seen leaving his residence near 14th St. and N. New York Ave. in Liberal, Kansas on July 3, around 6:30 a.m. He has not been seen or heard from since then. Ricky did not show up to work or to other activities that he frequents, which is unlike him. He does not own a vehicle. Officers believe he may no longer been in the area.Ricky is a black male who is around 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs around 200 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. Ricky walks with a cane due to concerns with his balance.If you see Ricky Moore please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about his whereabouts, please call the Liberal Police/Seward County Communications at (620) 626-0141.

KBI: Silver Alert canceled missing SW Kansas man found 

RILEY COUNTY —Improperly stored fireworks debris is being blamed for a rural Kansas fire.

Just after midnight Wednesday, the Riley County Fire District #1 was called out to the report of a structure fire at <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/cGuJRhcT1MGpdoHq8">12261 Walnut Creek Road </a>in northern Riley County, according to a media release.

First arriving crews found a garage fully engulfed in fire, which had spread to the attic space of the home. Volunteer firefighters were able to stop the fire from causing further damage to the home.

Crews successfully extinguished the blaze and stayed on scene for several hours to check on hot spots and complete mop-up of the burned area. Four occupants and a cat were evacuated safely from the home, no injuries were reported.

Fire crews determined the cause of the fire to be leftover firework debris stored in a trash bin inside the garage. The fire caused extensive damage to the structure and contents, including two vehicles, tools and several pieces of equipment.

The total estimated loss was not available at the time of the media release by Riley County Fire District #1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688651695368.jpeg" alt="Photo North Riley Co. Fire District #1" />
 <figcaption>Photo North Riley Co. Fire District #1</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Improperly stored fireworks debris is being blamed for a rural Kansas fire.Just after midnight Wednesday, the Riley County Fire District #1 was called out to the report of a structure fire at <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/cGuJRhcT1MGpdoHq8">12261 Walnut Creek Road </a>in northern Riley County, according to a media release.First arriving crews found a garage fully engulfed in fire, which had spread to the attic space of the home. Volunteer firefighters were able to stop the fire from causing further damage to the home.Crews successfully extinguished the blaze and stayed on scene for several hours to check on hot spots and complete mop-up of the burned area. Four occupants and a cat were evacuated safely from the home, no injuries were reported.Fire crews determined the cause of the fire to be leftover firework debris stored in a trash bin inside the garage. The fire caused extensive damage to the structure and contents, including two vehicles, tools and several pieces of equipment.The total estimated loss was not available at the time of the media release by Riley County Fire District #1.

Leftover fireworks debris caused rural Kansas house fire

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities issued a reminder this week about online dating applications.

 There has been an increase in reported sexual assaults, according to Kansas City, Missouri Police. It is important to follow some basic safety protocols.

KC Police reminded, "meeting unknown people from online sites can be of high risk.&nbsp; If you plan to meet in person, take extreme caution by meeting in a public place. Do not enter a vehicle or go to a secluded location that is away from public view.&nbsp; Let a family member or friend know your location, how long you plan to be away and as much information as possible about the person you are meeting.&nbsp;

If you find yourself to be a victim of sexual assault, please contact 911 and respond to the nearest hospital for care.

"KCPD detectives are here for you, will listen to you, and want to bring your case to justice." You can also document what happened to you at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.seekthenspeak.app/" target="_blank">www.seekthenspeak.app</a>.”

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities issued a reminder this week about online dating applications. There has been an increase in reported sexual assaults, according to Kansas City, Missouri Police. It is important to follow some basic safety protocols.KC Police reminded, "meeting unknown people from online sites can be of high risk.&nbsp; If you plan to meet in person, take extreme caution by meeting in a public place. Do not enter a vehicle or go to a secluded location that is away from public view.&nbsp; Let a family member or friend know your location, how long you plan to be away and as much information as possible about the person you are meeting.&nbsp;If you find yourself to be a victim of sexual assault, please contact 911 and respond to the nearest hospital for care."KCPD detectives are here for you, will listen to you, and want to bring your case to justice." You can also document what happened to you at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.seekthenspeak.app/" target="_blank">www.seekthenspeak.app</a>.”

KCPD issues sex assault alert, reminders about online dating

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has been briefed on the investigation into the discovery of cocaine on the lobby floor of the White House West Wing, and thinks it is “incredibly important” for the Secret Service to determine how it got there, officials said Wednesday.

(click below to watch press briefing on the cocaine investigation)

U.S. Secret Service agents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-suspicious-substance-cocaine-bd7a792357a85453cf55b6c955ff1b4f" target="_blank">found the powder during a routine</a>&nbsp;White House sweep on Sunday, in a small, clear plastic bag on the ground in a heavily trafficked area, according to three people, who were not authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

On Wednesday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House had confidence in the Secret Service. “The president think it’s incredibly important to get to the bottom of this,” she said.

Biden was at Camp David with members of his family for the holiday weekend when the powder was discovered and the complex was briefly evacuated as a precaution. The fire department was called in to test the substance to determine it was not hazardous, and the initial test came back positive for cocaine. A secondary, more sensitive lab analysis confirmed the results.

Investigators have not yet identified who brought the drugs into the White House. The Secret Service, which is responsible for securing the White House, was combing through visitor logs and security footage.

The lobby where the drugs were found is where many official visitors and staffers enter. It is also open to staff-led tours of the West Wing, which are scheduled for nonworking hours on the weekends and evenings. Those tours are invitation-only and led by White House staff for friends, family and other guests. Most staffers who work on the complex can request an evening or weekend tour slot, but there is often a long wait list.

If a White House employee brought in the drugs, it would be easier to determine, because staff are fingerprinted and subjected to drug tests. A visitor would be harder to pin down; there were tours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday last week.

The District of Columbia fire department was called in Sunday to test the substance to determine whether it was hazardous, though officials immediately suspected illicit drugs because of how it was packaged, two of the people said. It’s routine to follow up with a more sensitive lab tests later. That test was returned Wednesday.

The Secret Service said in a statement Tuesday that the White House was closed as a precaution as emergency crews investigated.

“The item was sent for further evaluation and an investigation into the cause and manner of how it entered the White House is pending,” the Secret Service said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has been briefed on the investigation into the discovery of cocaine on the lobby floor of the White House West Wing, and thinks it is “incredibly important” for the Secret Service to determine how it got there, officials said Wednesday.(click below to watch press briefing on the cocaine investigation)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1012360460003301%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=529" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>U.S. Secret Service agents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-suspicious-substance-cocaine-bd7a792357a85453cf55b6c955ff1b4f" target="_blank">found the powder during a routine</a>&nbsp;White House sweep on Sunday, in a small, clear plastic bag on the ground in a heavily trafficked area, according to three people, who were not authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.On Wednesday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House had confidence in the Secret Service. “The president think it’s incredibly important to get to the bottom of this,” she said.Biden was at Camp David with members of his family for the holiday weekend when the powder was discovered and the complex was briefly evacuated as a precaution. The fire department was called in to test the substance to determine it was not hazardous, and the initial test came back positive for cocaine. A secondary, more sensitive lab analysis confirmed the results.Investigators have not yet identified who brought the drugs into the White House. The Secret Service, which is responsible for securing the White House, was combing through visitor logs and security footage.The lobby where the drugs were found is where many official visitors and staffers enter. It is also open to staff-led tours of the West Wing, which are scheduled for nonworking hours on the weekends and evenings. Those tours are invitation-only and led by White House staff for friends, family and other guests. Most staffers who work on the complex can request an evening or weekend tour slot, but there is often a long wait list.If a White House employee brought in the drugs, it would be easier to determine, because staff are fingerprinted and subjected to drug tests. A visitor would be harder to pin down; there were tours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday last week.The District of Columbia fire department was called in Sunday to test the substance to determine whether it was hazardous, though officials immediately suspected illicit drugs because of how it was packaged, two of the people said. It’s routine to follow up with a more sensitive lab tests later. That test was returned Wednesday.The Secret Service said in a statement Tuesday that the White House was closed as a precaution as emergency crews investigated.“The item was sent for further evaluation and an investigation into the cause and manner of how it entered the White House is pending,” the Secret Service said.

🎥 Biden responds to cocaine found at the White House

HOWELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating vandalism at a golf course in Missouri and have made an arrest.

Just after 7a.m. Sunday, a lifted white Dodge truck was seen causing damage to the West Plains Municipal Golf Course, according to a media release from police.

The vehicle was seen driving through the golf course on the green and conducting donuts. Along with a description of the vehicle a name was given for the driver. The suspect reportedly caused approximately $20,000.00 worth of damage to the golf course.

Just before 10a.m.,&nbsp; a caller reported the same vehicle creating skid marks in the parking lot of the West Plains High School. Several large marks were found on scene along with tread imprints which matched tread marks from the Municipal Golf Course.

The vehicle was observed driving on Abe Taylor without displaying any state plates. The vehicle was stopped, and it was discovered that it had not been registered and had no proof of insurance.

The driver, 19-year-old Xane Norton of West Plains, was later arrested for Property Damage 1st Degree. Further charges will be sought for property damage, driving while intoxicated, minor in possession of alcohol, failure to show proof of insurance and failure to register a motor vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688647337464.png" alt="Norton-photo Howell County" />
 <figcaption>Norton-photo Howell County</figcaption>
 </figure>HOWELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating vandalism at a golf course in Missouri and have made an arrest.Just after 7a.m. Sunday, a lifted white Dodge truck was seen causing damage to the West Plains Municipal Golf Course, according to a media release from police.The vehicle was seen driving through the golf course on the green and conducting donuts. Along with a description of the vehicle a name was given for the driver. The suspect reportedly caused approximately $20,000.00 worth of damage to the golf course.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688647545219.png" alt="Photo West Plains Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo West Plains Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 10a.m.,&nbsp; a caller reported the same vehicle creating skid marks in the parking lot of the West Plains High School. Several large marks were found on scene along with tread imprints which matched tread marks from the Municipal Golf Course.The vehicle was observed driving on Abe Taylor without displaying any state plates. The vehicle was stopped, and it was discovered that it had not been registered and had no proof of insurance.The driver, 19-year-old Xane Norton of West Plains, was later arrested for Property Damage 1st Degree. Further charges will be sought for property damage, driving while intoxicated, minor in possession of alcohol, failure to show proof of insurance and failure to register a motor vehicle.

Teen arrested after $20K in damage done on golf course

COFFEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the random killing of a cow in a&nbsp; Kansas pasture.

On July 3, the Coffey County Kansas Sheriff learned&nbsp;about a cow that had been killed in the pasture, according to a media release.

According to the owner, the animal was a 3rd stage pregnant black limousin cow that was killed in the field and had chunks of meat taken from it.

The killing happened between the evening of July 2 and early morning of July 3.

Anyone with information regarding this incident please contact the Coffey County Sheriff's Office at 620-364-2123.

COFFEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the random killing of a cow in a&nbsp; Kansas pasture.On July 3, the Coffey County Kansas Sheriff learned&nbsp;about a cow that had been killed in the pasture, according to a media release.According to the owner, the animal was a 3rd stage pregnant black limousin cow that was killed in the field and had chunks of meat taken from it.The killing happened between the evening of July 2 and early morning of July 3.Anyone with information regarding this incident please contact the Coffey County Sheriff's Office at 620-364-2123.

Sheriff: Chunks of meat taken from cow killed in Kansas pasture

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured a 44-year-old man from Wichita

Just after 12:30 am Wednesday, police were dispatched to a local hospital for a walk-in shooting victim with a gunshot wound to his head, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

 The victim had serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The victim was treated for his injury and was in stable condition.

The investigation revealed the incident took place in the 1600 block of East Fortuna Street in Wichita.

 Officers learned that the victim was trying to break up a physical altercation within a large crowd when an unknown suspect produced a handgun and shot him.

Officers responded to the scene and encountered a large crowd and multiple casings. Due to the lack of cooperation from witnesses, investigators have not been able to fully determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured a 44-year-old man from WichitaJust after 12:30 am Wednesday, police were dispatched to a local hospital for a walk-in shooting victim with a gunshot wound to his head, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. The victim had serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The victim was treated for his injury and was in stable condition.The investigation revealed the incident took place in the 1600 block of East Fortuna Street in Wichita. Officers learned that the victim was trying to break up a physical altercation within a large crowd when an unknown suspect produced a handgun and shot him.Officers responded to the scene and encountered a large crowd and multiple casings. Due to the lack of cooperation from witnesses, investigators have not been able to fully determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting.

Police: Kan. man shot in the head attempting to break up fight in crowd

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran tried to seize two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz early Wednesday, opening fire on one of them, the U.S. Navy said.

It said that in both cases, the Iranian naval vessels backed off after the U.S. Navy dispatched a guided missile destroyer to the scene, and that both commercial ships continued their voyages.

“The Iranian navy did make attempts to seize commercial tankers lawfully transiting international waters,” said Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet. “The U.S. Navy responded immediately and prevented those seizures.”

He said the gunfire directed at the second vessel did not cause casualties or major damage.

There was no immediate Iranian comment on the incidents.

The U.S. Navy said an Iranian naval vessel approached the Marshall Islands-flagged TRF Moss in the Gulf of Oman at around 1 a.m. The U.S. deployed the USS McFaul, a guided-missile destroyer, as well as as MQ-9 Reaper drone and a P-8 Poseidon patrol plane.

Three hours later, the U.S. Navy received a distress call from the Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager more than 20 nautical miles off the coast of Muscat, the capital of Oman. The Navy said another Iranian naval vessel had closed within a mile (1.6 kilometers) of the tanker and had ordered it to stop.

The same U.S. destroyer sped toward the tanker at “maximum speed,” the Navy said in a statement. “Prior to McFaul’s arrival on scene, Iranian personnel fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons,” it said.

The U.S. Navy says Iran has seized at least five commercial vessels in the last two years and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-tanker-seizures-us-uk-navy-revolutionary-guard-a8996a3dccccc82f8fa8d8bf263c9cfb" target="_blank">has harassed</a>&nbsp;more than a dozen others. Many of the incidents have occurred in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all crude oil passes.

In April, masked Iranian navy commandos conducted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-oil-tanker-advantage-sweet-seized-40b8f90bc0484fcd626903eef5faf64c" target="_blank">a helicopter-borne raid</a>&nbsp;to seize a U.S.-bound oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, footage of which was aired on Iranian state TV. Iran said the tanker was seized after it collided with another Iranian vessel but provided no evidence. In the past, Iran has seized commercial vessels to use as bargaining chips with the West.

Tensions have steadily risen since the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers and restored crippling sanctions. Iran has responded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-iran-politics-government-mahmoud-ahmadinejad-6acdb64d36fcbe05b3ee725d8a585d96" target="_blank">ramping up its nuclear activities</a>&nbsp;— which it says are purely peaceful — and is also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-iran-drone-factory-ukraine-war-dfdfb4602fecb0fe65935cb24c82421a" target="_blank">providing armed drones to Russia</a>&nbsp;for its war against Ukraine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688599050813.png" alt="Image U.S. Navy Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet" />
 <figcaption>Image U.S. Navy Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran tried to seize two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz early Wednesday, opening fire on one of them, the U.S. Navy said.It said that in both cases, the Iranian naval vessels backed off after the U.S. Navy dispatched a guided missile destroyer to the scene, and that both commercial ships continued their voyages.“The Iranian navy did make attempts to seize commercial tankers lawfully transiting international waters,” said Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet. “The U.S. Navy responded immediately and prevented those seizures.”He said the gunfire directed at the second vessel did not cause casualties or major damage.There was no immediate Iranian comment on the incidents.The U.S. Navy said an Iranian naval vessel approached the Marshall Islands-flagged TRF Moss in the Gulf of Oman at around 1 a.m. The U.S. deployed the USS McFaul, a guided-missile destroyer, as well as as MQ-9 Reaper drone and a P-8 Poseidon patrol plane.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688599074046.png" alt="Image U.S. Navy Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet" />
 <figcaption>Image U.S. Navy Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet</figcaption>
 </figure>Three hours later, the U.S. Navy received a distress call from the Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager more than 20 nautical miles off the coast of Muscat, the capital of Oman. The Navy said another Iranian naval vessel had closed within a mile (1.6 kilometers) of the tanker and had ordered it to stop.The same U.S. destroyer sped toward the tanker at “maximum speed,” the Navy said in a statement. “Prior to McFaul’s arrival on scene, Iranian personnel fired multiple, long bursts from both small arms and crew-served weapons,” it said.The U.S. Navy says Iran has seized at least five commercial vessels in the last two years and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-tanker-seizures-us-uk-navy-revolutionary-guard-a8996a3dccccc82f8fa8d8bf263c9cfb" target="_blank">has harassed</a>&nbsp;more than a dozen others. Many of the incidents have occurred in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all crude oil passes.In April, masked Iranian navy commandos conducted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-oil-tanker-advantage-sweet-seized-40b8f90bc0484fcd626903eef5faf64c" target="_blank">a helicopter-borne raid</a>&nbsp;to seize a U.S.-bound oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, footage of which was aired on Iranian state TV. Iran said the tanker was seized after it collided with another Iranian vessel but provided no evidence. In the past, Iran has seized commercial vessels to use as bargaining chips with the West.Tensions have steadily risen since the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers and restored crippling sanctions. Iran has responded by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-iran-politics-government-mahmoud-ahmadinejad-6acdb64d36fcbe05b3ee725d8a585d96" target="_blank">ramping up its nuclear activities</a>&nbsp;— which it says are purely peaceful — and is also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-iran-drone-factory-ukraine-war-dfdfb4602fecb0fe65935cb24c82421a" target="_blank">providing armed drones to Russia</a>&nbsp;for its war against Ukraine.

U.S. Navy confronts Iran after shots fired at oil tanker

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY—A Kansas man is hospitalized in critical condition after he was struck by lightning last weekend.

Just after 7pm. June 30, the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call for a man struck by lightning in the 5600 block of Lewis Wilson Road, Wamego, Pottawatomie County, Kansas, according to a media release.

Pottawatomie County Deputies and a Louisville Fire fighter arrived at the scene and found Jennifer Campbell administering CPR to a man later identified as 37-year-old Matthew Campbell&nbsp; of rural Wamego.

 It was reported that Matthew had been struck by lightning while walking back from the pasture.  Matthew's wife, Jennifer Campbell was along with him when he was struck.  She reported being knocked to the ground by the lightning strike as well.  Jennifer did not report any injuries.&nbsp;

Friends and Matthew's sister have established<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/emergency-support-matt-jen-at-woolly-bee-farm?utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook&amp;mibextid=Zxz2cZ&amp;fbclid=IwAR2ZyaVxSV8bnANdCSBqDH_uIEGw5hsjt0UO4ScAa9u2CcAiXFzT1feN05c"> an online fundraise</a>r to help the family.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688609335013.png" alt="Photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY—A Kansas man is hospitalized in critical condition after he was struck by lightning last weekend.Just after 7pm. June 30, the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call for a man struck by lightning in the 5600 block of Lewis Wilson Road, Wamego, Pottawatomie County, Kansas, according to a media release.Pottawatomie County Deputies and a Louisville Fire fighter arrived at the scene and found Jennifer Campbell administering CPR to a man later identified as 37-year-old Matthew Campbell&nbsp; of rural Wamego. It was reported that Matthew had been struck by lightning while walking back from the pasture. Matthew's wife, Jennifer Campbell was along with him when he was struck. She reported being knocked to the ground by the lightning strike as well. Jennifer did not report any injuries.&nbsp;Friends and Matthew's sister have established<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/emergency-support-matt-jen-at-woolly-bee-farm?utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook&amp;mibextid=Zxz2cZ&amp;fbclid=IwAR2ZyaVxSV8bnANdCSBqDH_uIEGw5hsjt0UO4ScAa9u2CcAiXFzT1feN05c"> an online fundraise</a>r to help the family.

Kansas man in critical condition after struck by lightning

SUMNER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting in Wellington.

Just after 1:30p.m. Monday, police responded to report of a shooting in the the 1300 block of North A Street in Wellington, according to a media release.

First responders found a 25-year-old woman shot once in the upper chest. EMS transported her to Wesley Medical Center where she was pronounced deceased.

After an investigation, police arrested a 24-year-old Michael Eugene Edgington and booked him into the Sumner County jail on requested charges of Murder in the 2nd degree; Unintentional but reckless, according to online jail records. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.

&nbsp; Police have not reported the name of the victim or additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688570539512.png" alt="Edgington is being held on a $500,000 bond-photo Sumner Co." />
 <figcaption>Edgington is being held on a $500,000 bond-photo Sumner Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SUMNER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting in Wellington.Just after 1:30p.m. Monday, police responded to report of a shooting in the the 1300 block of North A Street in Wellington, according to a media release.First responders found a 25-year-old woman shot once in the upper chest. EMS transported her to Wesley Medical Center where she was pronounced deceased.After an investigation, police arrested a 24-year-old Michael Eugene Edgington and booked him into the Sumner County jail on requested charges of Murder in the 2nd degree; Unintentional but reckless, according to online jail records. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.&nbsp; Police have not reported the name of the victim or additional details.

Kan. man accused of unintentional, reckless murder of woman

BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Butler County reported late Wednesday they found the owner of a large snake.

On their social media page Wednesday, the Andover Police Department wrote, "No two days are the same on this job.&nbsp; If anyone in Andover is missing a 15-foot python, please contact the Andover Police Department. Police reported no additional details and reported no injuries.

BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Butler County are looking for the owner of a large snake.

f this large slithering friend belongs to you or if you have any information about a possible owner, please contact the Andover Police Department. 316-733-5177 Ext 0

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688589119403.png" alt="Photo Andover Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Andover Police</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Butler County reported late Wednesday they found the owner of a large snake.On their social media page Wednesday, the Andover Police Department wrote, "No two days are the same on this job.&nbsp; If anyone in Andover is missing a 15-foot python, please contact the Andover Police Department. Police reported no additional details and reported no injuries.-------------BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities in Butler County are looking for the owner of a large snake.On their social media page Wednesday, the Andover Police Department wrote, "No two days are the same on this job.&nbsp; If anyone in Andover is missing a 15-foot python, please contact the Andover Police Department. Police reported no additional details and reported no injuries.f this large slithering friend belongs to you or if you have any information about a possible owner, please contact the Andover Police Department. 316-733-5177 Ext 0

Police in Kansas locate owner of 15-foot python

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect on drug and related charges

Just after 2a.m. Monday, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a&nbsp; 2014 Dodge Challenger near NE Soldier Street and NE Monroe Street in Shawnee County, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

The driver, later identified as 39-year-old William P. Roberts of Topeka had a felony warrant for his arrest. He failed to stop for the officer and was located inside of a residence in the 1500 block of NE Jefferson Street a short time later.

Deputies arrested Roberts and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on the felony arrest warrant and on requested charges of flee or attempt to elude law enforcement, interference with law enforcement, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and transporting an open container of liquor.

He has previous convictions for drugs and theft, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688575144773.png" alt="Roberts photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Roberts photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect on drug and related chargesJust after 2a.m. Monday, a sheriff's deputy conducted a traffic stop on a&nbsp; 2014 Dodge Challenger near NE Soldier Street and NE Monroe Street in Shawnee County, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.The driver, later identified as 39-year-old William P. Roberts of Topeka had a felony warrant for his arrest. He failed to stop for the officer and was located inside of a residence in the 1500 block of NE Jefferson Street a short time later.Deputies arrested Roberts and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on the felony arrest warrant and on requested charges of flee or attempt to elude law enforcement, interference with law enforcement, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and transporting an open container of liquor.He has previous convictions for drugs and theft, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Deputies catch wanted Kansas felon who ran from arrest

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured a 4-year-old girl.

On Tuesday, while police were investigating a different case at a Wichita hospital, they learned about a 4-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to her right arm, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

 The victim was in serious condition but with non-life-threatening injuries. The 4-year-old was admitted to the hospital and was awaiting surgery.

The investigation revealed that at approximately 9:30p.m. Tuesday in the 1600 block of South Pattie Street, the girl was watching fireworks and playing with her neighbors when she received the injury to her arm. 

At the hospital, medical personnel determined a bullet had struck her arm and required surgery. The Injury appears to be from a stray bullet strike.

The Wichita Police Department reminded the public of the severity of the consequences when shooting a firearm into the air. The outcome of this incident could’ve been much worse than what had happened to this child, who was enjoying the festivities of the 4th of July. This reckless behavior exhibits a lack of regard for human life.

On July 4 in 2011, 11-year-old Blair Shanahan Lane was playing in backyard in Kansas City when she was hit by a stray bullet and died. The bullet came from a 9 mm pistol that Aaron Sullivan and his friends were shooting nearby to celebrate the holiday.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688584697557.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured a 4-year-old girl.On Tuesday, while police were investigating a different case at a Wichita hospital, they learned about a 4-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to her right arm, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. The victim was in serious condition but with non-life-threatening injuries. The 4-year-old was admitted to the hospital and was awaiting surgery.The investigation revealed that at approximately 9:30p.m. Tuesday in the 1600 block of South Pattie Street, the girl was watching fireworks and playing with her neighbors when she received the injury to her arm. At the hospital, medical personnel determined a bullet had struck her arm and required surgery. The Injury appears to be from a stray bullet strike.The Wichita Police Department reminded the public of the severity of the consequences when shooting a firearm into the air. The outcome of this incident could’ve been much worse than what had happened to this child, who was enjoying the festivities of the 4th of July. This reckless behavior exhibits a lack of regard for human life.On July 4 in 2011, 11-year-old Blair Shanahan Lane was playing in backyard in Kansas City when she was hit by a stray bullet and died. The bullet came from a 9 mm pistol that Aaron Sullivan and his friends were shooting nearby to celebrate the holiday.&nbsp;

4-year-old Kan. girl injured by celebratory gunfire on 4th of July

BUTLER COUNTY —&nbsp;—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal law enforcement pursuit crash involving a shooting suspect.

Just after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, a Butler County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the report of a person shot in the area of K-254 and Shumway, according to Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff.

When deputies arrived on scene, they found the victim, a 44-year-old man from Blue Springs, Missouri, who had been shot at least one time. 

The female suspect left the scene prior to law enforcement’s arrival in the victim’s 2008 Ford F-150. The man was able to provide the identity of the woman who allegedly shot him, a Wichita resident in her sixties. He was transported to a Wichita area hospital in serious but stable condition.

Just after 1030a.m. Wednesday, Kansas Highway Patrol dispatch received an attempt to locate broadcast from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office regarding a shooting suspect that had fled the scene in Butler County, according to a media release.

The suspect was reported to be driving a white 2008 Ford F-150 pickup, which was last seen traveling west on K-254 Highway towards Sedgwick County. 

At approximately 10:45am, a Trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol saw a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle near K-254 Highway and Greenwich and a traffic stop was initiated.

The pickup fled and a pursuit was initiated and a Trooper performed a Tactical Vehicle Intervention in the 5300 block of North Webb Road. The pickup struck a sign in the parking lot of 5039 N. Webb Road.

As a result of the collision, the driver of the Ford F-150 was pronounced deceased. There were no other occupants in the pickup and no other injuries reported. The KHP did not release the driver's name.

The Kansas Highway Patrol Critical Highway Accident Response Team was called to the scene, and this crash remains under investigation at this time. The Butler County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the prior shooting incident.&nbsp; 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal law enforcement pursuit crash.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688584945445.png" alt="Law enforcement on the scene of the fatal crash-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement on the scene of the fatal crash-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —&nbsp;—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal law enforcement pursuit crash involving a shooting suspect.Just after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, a Butler County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the report of a person shot in the area of K-254 and Shumway, according to Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff.When deputies arrived on scene, they found the victim, a 44-year-old man from Blue Springs, Missouri, who had been shot at least one time. The female suspect left the scene prior to law enforcement’s arrival in the victim’s 2008 Ford F-150. The man was able to provide the identity of the woman who allegedly shot him, a Wichita resident in her sixties. He was transported to a Wichita area hospital in serious but stable condition.Just after 1030a.m. Wednesday, Kansas Highway Patrol dispatch received an attempt to locate broadcast from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office regarding a shooting suspect that had fled the scene in Butler County, according to a media release.The suspect was reported to be driving a white 2008 Ford F-150 pickup, which was last seen traveling west on K-254 Highway towards Sedgwick County. At approximately 10:45am, a Trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol saw a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle near K-254 Highway and Greenwich and a traffic stop was initiated.The pickup fled and a pursuit was initiated and a Trooper performed a Tactical Vehicle Intervention in the 5300 block of North Webb Road. The pickup struck a sign in the parking lot of 5039 N. Webb Road.As a result of the collision, the driver of the Ford F-150 was pronounced deceased. There were no other occupants in the pickup and no other injuries reported. The KHP did not release the driver's name.The Kansas Highway Patrol Critical Highway Accident Response Team was called to the scene, and this crash remains under investigation at this time. The Butler County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the prior shooting incident.&nbsp; --------------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal law enforcement pursuit crash.Just after 1030a.m. Wednesday, Kansas Highway Patrol dispatch received an attempt to locate broadcast from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office regarding a shooting suspect that had fled the scene in Butler County, according to a media release.The suspect was reported to be driving a white 2008 Ford F-150 pickup, which was last seen traveling west on K-254 Highway towards Sedgwick County. At approximately 10:45am, a Trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol saw a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle near K-254 Highway and Greenwich and a traffic stop was initiated.The pickup fled and a pursuit was initiated and a Trooper performed a Tactical Vehicle Intervention in the 5300 block of North Webb Road. The pickup struck a sign in the parking lot of 5039 N. Webb Road.As a result of the collision, the driver of the Ford F-150 was pronounced deceased. There were no other occupants in the pickup and no other injuries reported. The KHP did not release the driver's name.The Kansas Highway Patrol Critical Highway Accident Response Team was called to the scene, and this crash remains under investigation at this time. The Butler County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the prior shooting incident.&nbsp; Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Sheriff: Suspect shot man before fatal KHP chase, crash

By Harris Meyer <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/">KFF&nbsp;Health News</a>

Mylissa Farmer, the woman who was denied an emergency abortion at Joplin and Kansas City, Kansas hospitals, is one of many people denied reproductive care after Roe v Wade was overturned who are considering legal options.

A year after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many physicians and hospitals in the states that have restricted abortion reportedly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/05/16/ucsf-abortion-study/" target="_blank">are refusing to end the pregnancies</a>&nbsp;of women facing health-threatening complications out of fear they might face criminal prosecution or loss of their medical license.

Some experts predict those providers could soon face a new legal threat: medical malpractice lawsuits alleging they harmed patients by failing to provide timely, necessary abortion care.

“We will absolutely see medical malpractice cases emerge,” said Diana Nordlund, an emergency physician in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and former malpractice defense attorney, who chairs the Medical-Legal Committee of the American College of Emergency Physicians. When physicians decide not to provide treatments widely accepted as the standard of care because of these new laws, “that’s perceived as substandard care and there is increased civil liability.”

To some physicians and malpractice attorneys, the question is when — not if — a pregnant patient will die from lack of care and set the stage for a big-dollar wrongful death claim. Abortion rights supporters said such a case could pressure doctors and hospitals to provide appropriate abortion care, counterbalancing their fears of running afoul of state abortion bans, many of which call for criminal prosecution and revocation of medical licenses as punishment for violations.

“If we want to encourage proper care, there has to be some sort of counter-risk to physicians and hospitals for refusing to provide care that should be legal,” said Greer Donley, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law who studies the impact of abortion bans. “But most rational people would be more afraid of going to jail.”

Some supporters of abortion bans said they would welcome malpractice lawsuits. Providers are refusing to use&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/a-review-of-exceptions-in-state-abortions-bans-implications-for-the-provision-of-abortion-services/#:~:text=In%20Texas'%20abortion%20ban%2C%20the,abortion%20is%20performed%20or%20induced%E2%80%9D." target="_blank">the exceptions in some state laws</a>&nbsp;that allow them to perform abortions to save a patient’s life or health, they said.

“It could help achieve our goal if it clarifies that the law did not contradict standard medical practice,” said John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, referring to the state’s abortion ban.

A new KFF poll found that 59% of OB-GYNs practicing in states with gestational limits on abortion, and 61% of those in states with bans, are somewhat or very concerned about their legal risk when making decisions about the necessity of an abortion.

Some attorneys are exploring lawsuits on behalf of women who they said have been harmed by a state abortion ban. An attorney for Mylissa Farmer, a Missouri woman&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/emtala-missouri-hospital-investigated-emergency-abortion/" target="_blank">who was refused an abortion</a>&nbsp;at two hospitals in August after her water broke about 18 weeks into her pregnancy, said she may sue for malpractice. Missouri’s abortion ban, which took effect last year, makes an exception for medical emergencies.

The federal government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emergency-abortion-law-hospitals-kansas-missouri-emtala-2f993d2869fa801921d7e56e95787567" target="_blank">recently found</a>&nbsp;that the two hospitals violated a federal emergency care law in denying Farmer an abortion, which experts said could strengthen a malpractice claim. One of the hospitals, Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri, did not respond to a request for comment. The other, the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, said the care provided “was reviewed by the hospital and found to be in accordance with hospital policy,” according to a spokesperson, Jill Chadwick.

Farmer “experienced permanent physical and emotional damage,” said Michelle Banker, one of her lawyers at the National Women’s Law Center, who added that Farmer and her attorneys are “considering all our legal options.”

<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/12/29/1143823727/bleeding-and-in-pain-she-couldnt-get-2-louisiana-ers-to-answer-is-it-a-miscarria" target="_blank">News reports</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(22)00536-1/pdf" target="_blank">medical studies</a>&nbsp;show that some women with pregnancy complications have suffered serious health consequences when doctors and hospitals did not provide once-routine abortion care.

Last month, researchers released a study identifying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ansirh.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/Care%20Post-Roe%20Preliminary%20Findings.pdf" target="_blank">dozens of cases</a>&nbsp;in 14 states in which physicians said deficiencies in care due to abortion restrictions led to preventable complications and hospitalizations, with some patients nearly dying.

“The patients were sent home and told to come back when they had signs of infection,” said Daniel Grossman, an OB-GYN at the University of California-San Francisco, who led the study. “Many developed serious infections. And it’s clear many of these cases were very emotionally traumatic.”

He said though the researchers did not track patient outcomes, the lack of timely abortion care in such cases could result in severe health harms including loss of fertility, stroke, or heart attack.

“It’s just a matter of time before there will be a death that comes to light,” Grossman said.

Still, considering the conflict for doctors between medical ethics and personal risk, some stakeholders said patients may be reluctant to sue doctors and juries may balk at finding them liable.

“It’s a terrible position that providers are being put into, and I don’t think juries will blame the doctor unless it’s a super clear case,” said Morgan Murphy, a malpractice plaintiff’s attorney in Missouri.

She said her firm will not pursue malpractice cases based on abortion denials except in “pretty extreme” situations, such as when a patient dies. “Unless a mother is on her deathbed, it’s pretty hard to fault a provider who thinks if they provide treatment they’re going to be criminally liable or will lose their medical license.”

Another hurdle for malpractice cases is that state abortion bans could undermine the argument that abortion is the legal “standard of care,” meaning that it is a widely accepted and prescribed treatment for pregnancy complications such as miscarriage and for fatal fetal abnormalities.

“I absolutely see a breach of the standard of care in these cases,” said Maria A. Phillis, an OB-GYN and former lawyer in Cleveland. “But if someone goes to trial in a malpractice case, it will come down to a battle of medical experts about whether it’s no longer the standard of care, and the jury would have to decide.”

An additional justification for physicians not to provide abortions is that medical liability insurers generally do not cover damages from criminal acts, which “puts the finger on the scales even more to not do anything,” Phillis said.

Stuart Grossman, a prominent malpractice plaintiff’s attorney in Florida, said he would be eager to take an abortion-denial case in which the woman suffered serious health or emotional injuries.

Unlike other states with abortion bans, Florida does not cap damage amounts for pain and suffering in malpractice cases, making it more financially viable to sue there.

Grossman cited the case of Deborah Dorbert, a Florida woman who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/02/health/florida-abortion-term-pregnancy/index.html#:~:text=A%20Florida%20woman%2C%20unable%20to,doctors%20had%20predicted%20he%20would." target="_blank">reportedly was denied an abortion</a>&nbsp;despite being told by her physicians at 24 weeks of pregnancy that her fetus, with no kidneys and underdeveloped lungs, had a fatal condition called Potter syndrome.

Her doctors and the hospital refused to end the pregnancy even though the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/02/18/florida-abortion-ban-unviable-pregnancy-potter-syndrome/" target="_blank">state’s abortion ban has an exception</a>&nbsp;for fatal fetal abnormalities. Months later, her baby&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/interactive/2023/florida-abortion-law-deborah-dorbert/" target="_blank">died in his parents’ arms</a>&nbsp;shortly after birth.

“You can see how she’s been devastated mentally,” Grossman said. “She has a wrongful death case that I’d take in a minute.” He said the couple could file a malpractice suit for Dorbert’s physical and emotional damages and a separate malpractice and wrongful death suit for the couple’s suffering over the infant’s death.

Failing to counsel patients about their options and connect them with providers willing to terminate a pregnancy is also possible grounds for a malpractice suit, attorneys said. Katie Watson, an associate professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine who has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMms2216234" target="_blank">studied state abortion bans</a>, said counseling and referral are not prohibited under these laws and that physicians have an ethical obligation to offer those services.

“I think breaching the obligation for counseling would make a strong malpractice lawsuit,” she said.

Nancy Davis said she received no counseling or referral assistance last July after her doctors at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told her 10 weeks into her pregnancy that her fetus would not survive because it was missing the top of its skull, a fatal condition called acrania. She said they recommended that she terminate the pregnancy and she agreed.

Davis said her doctors then told her a hospital executive had denied permission for the procedure because of Louisiana’s abortion ban, even though the law has an exception for fatal fetal abnormalities. A hospital spokesperson declined to comment.

Davis, who has three children, contacted Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, which arranged for child care and a flight to New York City. She had an abortion performed there in September.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/9/1569156934026.png" alt="Most abortion bans that went into effect after the Dobbs ruling that overturned a federal right to abortion have exceptions for life-threatening emergencies, but some patients at risk of harm have still been denied care.&nbsp; -Jennifer Morrow/ Creative Commons-Flickr" />
 <figcaption>Most abortion bans that went into effect after the Dobbs ruling that overturned a federal right to abortion have exceptions for life-threatening emergencies, but some patients at risk of harm have still been denied care.&nbsp; -Jennifer Morrow/ Creative Commons-Flickr</figcaption>
 </figure>By Harris Meyer <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/">KFF&nbsp;Health News</a><h2>Mylissa Farmer, the woman who was denied an emergency abortion at Joplin and Kansas City, Kansas hospitals, is one of many people denied reproductive care after Roe v Wade was overturned who are considering legal options.</h2>A year after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many physicians and hospitals in the states that have restricted abortion reportedly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/05/16/ucsf-abortion-study/" target="_blank">are refusing to end the pregnancies</a>&nbsp;of women facing health-threatening complications out of fear they might face criminal prosecution or loss of their medical license.Some experts predict those providers could soon face a new legal threat: medical malpractice lawsuits alleging they harmed patients by failing to provide timely, necessary abortion care.“We will absolutely see medical malpractice cases emerge,” said Diana Nordlund, an emergency physician in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and former malpractice defense attorney, who chairs the Medical-Legal Committee of the American College of Emergency Physicians. When physicians decide not to provide treatments widely accepted as the standard of care because of these new laws, “that’s perceived as substandard care and there is increased civil liability.”To some physicians and malpractice attorneys, the question is when — not if — a pregnant patient will die from lack of care and set the stage for a big-dollar wrongful death claim. Abortion rights supporters said such a case could pressure doctors and hospitals to provide appropriate abortion care, counterbalancing their fears of running afoul of state abortion bans, many of which call for criminal prosecution and revocation of medical licenses as punishment for violations.“If we want to encourage proper care, there has to be some sort of counter-risk to physicians and hospitals for refusing to provide care that should be legal,” said Greer Donley, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law who studies the impact of abortion bans. “But most rational people would be more afraid of going to jail.”Some supporters of abortion bans said they would welcome malpractice lawsuits. Providers are refusing to use&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/a-review-of-exceptions-in-state-abortions-bans-implications-for-the-provision-of-abortion-services/#:~:text=In%20Texas'%20abortion%20ban%2C%20the,abortion%20is%20performed%20or%20induced%E2%80%9D." target="_blank">the exceptions in some state laws</a>&nbsp;that allow them to perform abortions to save a patient’s life or health, they said.“It could help achieve our goal if it clarifies that the law did not contradict standard medical practice,” said John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, referring to the state’s abortion ban.A new KFF poll found that 59% of OB-GYNs practicing in states with gestational limits on abortion, and 61% of those in states with bans, are somewhat or very concerned about their legal risk when making decisions about the necessity of an abortion.Some attorneys are exploring lawsuits on behalf of women who they said have been harmed by a state abortion ban. An attorney for Mylissa Farmer, a Missouri woman&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/emtala-missouri-hospital-investigated-emergency-abortion/" target="_blank">who was refused an abortion</a>&nbsp;at two hospitals in August after her water broke about 18 weeks into her pregnancy, said she may sue for malpractice. Missouri’s abortion ban, which took effect last year, makes an exception for medical emergencies.The federal government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emergency-abortion-law-hospitals-kansas-missouri-emtala-2f993d2869fa801921d7e56e95787567" target="_blank">recently found</a>&nbsp;that the two hospitals violated a federal emergency care law in denying Farmer an abortion, which experts said could strengthen a malpractice claim. One of the hospitals, Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri, did not respond to a request for comment. The other, the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, said the care provided “was reviewed by the hospital and found to be in accordance with hospital policy,” according to a spokesperson, Jill Chadwick.Farmer “experienced permanent physical and emotional damage,” said Michelle Banker, one of her lawyers at the National Women’s Law Center, who added that Farmer and her attorneys are “considering all our legal options.”<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/12/29/1143823727/bleeding-and-in-pain-she-couldnt-get-2-louisiana-ers-to-answer-is-it-a-miscarria" target="_blank">News reports</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(22)00536-1/pdf" target="_blank">medical studies</a>&nbsp;show that some women with pregnancy complications have suffered serious health consequences when doctors and hospitals did not provide once-routine abortion care.Last month, researchers released a study identifying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ansirh.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/Care%20Post-Roe%20Preliminary%20Findings.pdf" target="_blank">dozens of cases</a>&nbsp;in 14 states in which physicians said deficiencies in care due to abortion restrictions led to preventable complications and hospitalizations, with some patients nearly dying.“The patients were sent home and told to come back when they had signs of infection,” said Daniel Grossman, an OB-GYN at the University of California-San Francisco, who led the study. “Many developed serious infections. And it’s clear many of these cases were very emotionally traumatic.”He said though the researchers did not track patient outcomes, the lack of timely abortion care in such cases could result in severe health harms including loss of fertility, stroke, or heart attack.“It’s just a matter of time before there will be a death that comes to light,” Grossman said.Still, considering the conflict for doctors between medical ethics and personal risk, some stakeholders said patients may be reluctant to sue doctors and juries may balk at finding them liable.“It’s a terrible position that providers are being put into, and I don’t think juries will blame the doctor unless it’s a super clear case,” said Morgan Murphy, a malpractice plaintiff’s attorney in Missouri.She said her firm will not pursue malpractice cases based on abortion denials except in “pretty extreme” situations, such as when a patient dies. “Unless a mother is on her deathbed, it’s pretty hard to fault a provider who thinks if they provide treatment they’re going to be criminally liable or will lose their medical license.”Another hurdle for malpractice cases is that state abortion bans could undermine the argument that abortion is the legal “standard of care,” meaning that it is a widely accepted and prescribed treatment for pregnancy complications such as miscarriage and for fatal fetal abnormalities.“I absolutely see a breach of the standard of care in these cases,” said Maria A. Phillis, an OB-GYN and former lawyer in Cleveland. “But if someone goes to trial in a malpractice case, it will come down to a battle of medical experts about whether it’s no longer the standard of care, and the jury would have to decide.”An additional justification for physicians not to provide abortions is that medical liability insurers generally do not cover damages from criminal acts, which “puts the finger on the scales even more to not do anything,” Phillis said.Stuart Grossman, a prominent malpractice plaintiff’s attorney in Florida, said he would be eager to take an abortion-denial case in which the woman suffered serious health or emotional injuries.Unlike other states with abortion bans, Florida does not cap damage amounts for pain and suffering in malpractice cases, making it more financially viable to sue there.Grossman cited the case of Deborah Dorbert, a Florida woman who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/02/health/florida-abortion-term-pregnancy/index.html#:~:text=A%20Florida%20woman%2C%20unable%20to,doctors%20had%20predicted%20he%20would." target="_blank">reportedly was denied an abortion</a>&nbsp;despite being told by her physicians at 24 weeks of pregnancy that her fetus, with no kidneys and underdeveloped lungs, had a fatal condition called Potter syndrome.Her doctors and the hospital refused to end the pregnancy even though the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/02/18/florida-abortion-ban-unviable-pregnancy-potter-syndrome/" target="_blank">state’s abortion ban has an exception</a>&nbsp;for fatal fetal abnormalities. Months later, her baby&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/interactive/2023/florida-abortion-law-deborah-dorbert/" target="_blank">died in his parents’ arms</a>&nbsp;shortly after birth.“You can see how she’s been devastated mentally,” Grossman said. “She has a wrongful death case that I’d take in a minute.” He said the couple could file a malpractice suit for Dorbert’s physical and emotional damages and a separate malpractice and wrongful death suit for the couple’s suffering over the infant’s death.Failing to counsel patients about their options and connect them with providers willing to terminate a pregnancy is also possible grounds for a malpractice suit, attorneys said. Katie Watson, an associate professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine who has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMms2216234" target="_blank">studied state abortion bans</a>, said counseling and referral are not prohibited under these laws and that physicians have an ethical obligation to offer those services.“I think breaching the obligation for counseling would make a strong malpractice lawsuit,” she said.Nancy Davis said she received no counseling or referral assistance last July after her doctors at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told her 10 weeks into her pregnancy that her fetus would not survive because it was missing the top of its skull, a fatal condition called acrania. She said they recommended that she terminate the pregnancy and she agreed.Davis said her doctors then told her a hospital executive had denied permission for the procedure because of Louisiana’s abortion ban, even though the law has an exception for fatal fetal abnormalities. A hospital spokesperson declined to comment.Davis, who has three children, contacted Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, which arranged for child care and a flight to New York City. She had an abortion performed there in September.“The whole situation has been mentally and physically draining, and my family and I are receiving counseling,” Davis said. “I’m still very angry at the hospital and the doctors. I feel like I’m owed compensation for the trauma and the heartbreak.”She sought the counsel of Benjamin Crump, a prominent attorney known for pursuing high-profile cases like wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of the families of Trayvon Martin and George Floyd.But Crump said that after studying Davis’ legal options, he decided a judge would likely dismiss a malpractice suit and that Davis could end up paying the defendants’ legal fees and costs.“The doctor’s lawyers will say, ‘You can’t expect my client to break the law and go to prison for up to 25 years,’” Crump said. “Unless you change the law, there is no option for her to receive compensation.”This story was originally published by&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/malpractice-lawsuits-denied-abortion-care/" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>.