GALENA, Kan. — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation following an officer-involved shooting in Cherokee County on Monday. Preliminary information indicates that a suspect found deceased after exchanging gunfire with deputies died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following the incident, according to the KBI.
At around 5:20 p.m. on Monday, a woman called 911 from a residence at 9550 SE Bobcat Dr. near Galena to report a disturbance where a man was allegedly being held at gunpoint by another male subject. The armed man then left the residence in a Ford F-250 flatbed truck, according to the KBI.
Preliminary information indicates that around 5:30 p.m., deputies from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office spotted the pickup truck, according to the KBI. The driver of the truck, later identified as Phillip A. Doerr, 28, of Falls City, Nebraska, allegedly did not stop, and the deputies engaged in a short vehicle pursuit.
The truck came to a stop near the intersection of Southeast 100th Street and Southeast Messer Road, north of Galena. Doerr allegedly exited the truck while firing a handgun at responding deputies, and multiple rounds from his firearm hit a patrol vehicle. Both deputies returned fire, and Doerr fled into a tree line. Shots were fired at 5:42 p.m., according to the KBI.
Then at 5:46 p.m., deputies heard a single gunshot coming from the treed area. They established a perimeter and called for drone and aircraft assistance to locate Doerr. At approximately 8 p.m., Doerr was discovered deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to the KBI. An autopsy will be conducted, but no other gunshot wounds were evident, the KBI said. No law enforcement officers were hurt during the incident.
The KBI said in a press release that it will conduct a thorough and independent investigation into this incident. Once the investigation concludes, the findings will be turned over to the Cherokee County attorney for review. This investigation is ongoing, the KBI said, and no further information will be released at this time.
