SEDGWICK COUNTY — The Sedgwick County District Attorney's office announced Tuesday they will not file charges in a deadly 2024 officer-involved shooting in Haysville.
Click here to read the complete report from the district attorney.
On March 26, 2024, the Wichita-Sedgwick County Advanced Law Enforcement Response Team (A.L.E.R.T) investigated a Haysville Police Department officer involved shooting that occurred in the 200 block of N. Main in Haysville Kansas, according to a statement from the district attorney's office.
Just before 5p.m. that day, officers of the Haysville Police Department were dispatched to the 200 block of N. Lamar for a welfare check where 68-year-old Bill Osterhout, Haysville resident, was reported to have been making suicidal statements. Osterhout was not located when the officers arrived on-scene.
At approximately 5:31 P.M. a Haysville Police Officer located Osterhout’s vehicle parked at a business in the 200 block of N. Main in Haysville. Osterhout was in his vehicle with a handgun. Several other officers responded to the scene. Osterhout made suicidal statements to the officers. Officers attempted to deescalate the situation without success.
Osterhout pointed the handgun at himself several times while officers were speaking to him. At approximately 5:42 P.M., Osterhout pointed a handgun at two Haysville Police Officers. Two Haysville Police Officers fired their handguns striking Osterhout. Officers attempted lifesaving efforts until Sedgwick County Fire and EMS personnel arrived. Those efforts were unsuccessful and Osterhout was pronounced dead on-scene at 5:49 P.M.
An autopsy report indicated that Osterhout was shot 12 times, primarily in the neck and head areas. It also indicated the presence of ethanol in his system.
The officers were found justified in shooting Osterhout through the state's "stand your ground" law, according to the report.