UPDATE
The person involved in the police pursuit and subsequent officer involved shooting on December 30, 2019, was identified as Debra D. Arbuckle, a 51 year old white female, from Andover, Kansas. Arbuckle was pronounced deceased at the scene.
It is unfortunate anytime someone is injured or killed in a use of force event. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office extends sympathy to the members of Arbuckle’s family.
Arbuckle had 3 active felony arrest warrants in Sedgwick County at the time of the pursuit. The warrants were issued for failing to appear in court on criminal charges of Possession of Opiates, Possession of Marijuana, Drug Paraphernalia, Criminal Possession of a Weapon by a Felon, and traffic charges. Arbuckle has been arrested 38 times. 35 times in Sedgwick County, Kansas, 2 times in Newton, Kansas, and once in Texas.
Members of Arbuckle’s family have been notified. The Arbuckle family has asked us to share their desire not to be contacted, so they may grieve privately for the loss of their loved one.
Original Release -
The Wichita Police Department had been involved in a pursuit with a grey Volkswagen CC at approximately 3:12 a.m. this morning. At approximately 3:24 a.m., this morning, deputies attempted to stop the same grey Volkswagen CC, on MacArthur just west of K15 Highway. The driver of the Volkswagen refused to stop and a vehicle pursuit ensued.
The suspect refused to stop and led deputies on a pursuit that lasted approximately 19 minutes. During the pursuit, tire deflation devices were deployed on two occasions. Both deployments were successful, but the driver refused to stop. The Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI) technique was attempted three times during the pursuit. The 2nd time the TVI procedure was used, it was successful, but the driver managed to regain control of the vehicle and continue driving. The pursuit ended after the 3rd TVI method was used, at approximately 3:43 a.m.
The deputy gave several commands to the suspect to turn off the vehicle. The suspect did not comply with the commands. The suspect placed the vehicle in reverse and accelerated toward deputies.
Fearing for his life and life of the other deputies, a deputy fired several rounds striking the suspect. The woman, a white female, approximately 50 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:00 a.m.
The body was transported to the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center where an autopsy is currently being conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
Events of this nature escalate quickly. From the time the deputy got out of his car to the time the shots were fired was less than a minute.
The KBI, Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, and the Professional Standards Unit of the Sheriff’s Office were all notified. The KBI is assisting with the case. The investigation is still very active. There are multiple body camera videos to review and multiple patrol vehicle videos to review.
No injuries were reported by the deputies involved. The deputy who fired the shots is 26 years old and has been a deputy with the sheriff’s office for almost 6 years.
It is unfortunate anytime someone is injured or killed in a use of force event. Whenever an incident such as this occurs we conduct a thorough investigation to determine if there were any violations of law or our policy.
Upon the completion of the criminal investigation, the case will be presented to the District Attorney’s Office for review.