A Lenexa police officer shot a man in the leg during a physical struggle outside an apartment Monday night, sending the man to the hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening. The officer was also taken to a hospital for evaluation but is not believed to have been hurt.
The shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. Monday in the 11900 block of West 77th Terrace, according to KMBC. Officers were responding to a reported domestic disturbance at the same apartment where police had already been called about an hour earlier, the station reports. When the first officer arrived on the second call, he encountered a man outside the building, and the two got into a physical struggle before the officer fired his department-issued firearm, striking the man in the leg, according to KSHB 41 News.
Officer and Injured Man Both Hospitalized
The man was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening, per KCTV5. The officer was also taken to a hospital for a precautionary evaluation but is not believed to be injured, the station notes. Lenexa police have not released the identities of either the officer or the man involved in the struggle, and the department has not detailed what led to the confrontation.
The Lenexa Police Department said activating an outside investigation team is standard procedure following an officer-involved shooting. The Johnson County Officer-Involved Critical Incident Investigation Team has been activated to conduct an independent probe, with the Merriam Police Department serving as the host agency, the same report states.
A County-Wide System With a Long Track Record
The investigation team, often referred to as OICIIT, currently investigates every officer-involved shooting in Johnson County, according to the Johnson County Post. The team was created in 2005 by the Johnson County Police Chief and Sheriff's Association specifically to investigate deadly-force incidents independently and avoid any appearance of favoritism or conflict of interest, per The Kansas City Star. Records obtained through a Kansas Open Records Act request show the team has conducted 39 investigations over 20 years, and the Johnson County district attorney has deemed every single one of those shootings justified, the Star reported.
Lenexa has faced scrutiny over police use of force before. Lenexa officers fatally shot 25-year-old Grandview resident Jose Enrique Cartagena Chacon on June 22, 2025, after responding to a 911 call at an apartment complex, according to KCUR. Two officers were placed on paid administrative leave after that shooting, which the department described as standard practice, and OICIIT led an independent investigation with the Olathe Police Department serving as the lead agency. Months later, the Johnson County district attorney concluded that the use of deadly force in Cartagena Chacon's death was justified under Kansas law and declined to file charges, per KSHB.
Investigation Ongoing, Few Details Released
It remains unclear what prompted Monday's struggle, whether the man was armed, or how the investigation into the shooting will ultimately be resolved. Lenexa police have not said whether the responding officer has been placed on leave, and no timeline has been given for when OICIIT's review might conclude.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Merriam Police Department at 913-322-5560 or the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers tips hotline at 816-474-8477.
