The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office is mourning two of their own. Deputies Patrick Rohrer and Theresa King were shot and killed by an inmate, authorities said. A candlelight vigil is scheduled for Sunday night at 8 p.m. in front of city hall in Kansas City, Kansas.
Details on what happened remains sketchy. In a press conference Saturday morning, authorities said the matter remains under investigation. They won’t give out suspect information at this time, and the issue has been filed with the district attorney’s office. The shooting happened during a routine inmate transport out of the courthouse on Friday (they’d previously said it happened while arriving at the building). Authorities said the deputies were overcome by the inmate, but they remained somewhat mum on how this happened. A spokeswoman said that procedure had been followed during the transport. A second inmate at the scene was moved to a safe area, and was unharmed.
In a press conference on Friday, authorities suggested that Rohrer and King may have been shot with their own firearm. The matter remains under investigation. Rohrer passed away at the hospital on Friday. King died early Saturday morning. The suspect was shot during the incident, and hospitalized as well, according to Kansas City, KS Police Department Chief Terry Zeigler. As of Saturday, authorities said he remained in stable condition.
Rohrer, a 7-year veteran, leaves behind two younger children, said authorities on Saturday. King, who worked with the sheriff’s office for about 13 years, had two older children, and a small child.
[Image via Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office]
