KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A former Kansas City, Kansas, police detective identified as Lionel Womack was fatally shot on Monday during a struggle with KCKPD officers.
The police agency said officers were dispatched about 2:30 p.m. to a call regarding a man acting strangely in the street near North 57th Street and Tauromee Avenue, KSHB reported.
The person calling 911 said the man was standing in the street, looking and pointing at the sky. As the reporting party drove closer, Womack attempted to jump in front of the vehicle, prompting the citizen to summon authorities.
When officers arrived, Womack started running toward them in “an aggressive manner,” Police Chief Karl Oakman said, according to channel3000.com.
Womack initially tried to get into the passenger side of the police unit. Next, he ran around the vehicle where he came into contact with an officer.
Womack reached toward the back of his pants, leading the officer to believe he was drawing a firearm. Therefore, the officer drew his weapon, Oakman said.
Womack then got into the driver’s seat of the patrol unit, and the same officer tried to extract him.
As a result, a struggle took place for control of the officer’s weapon. During the fight, two rounds were discharged.
Womack successfully disarmed the officer and pointed the weapon at both officers. The other officer then shot the armed combatant, channel3000.com reported.
“Man, you just saved my life,” the disarmed officer said to the other, according to the chief’s observation of the bodycam video.
Womack was transported to a local hospital, but he did not survive, KSHB reported.
Both officers involved involved in the violent struggle received unspecified injuries. They were treated for “non-life-threatening” wounds at a hospital, according to KCKPD.
The 26-second incident was captured on the officers body cameras as well as unit dash cameras, KCKPD said.
One officer involved is a 17-year veteran of KCKPD. The other has been with the department for two years.
Womack was hired by KCKPD in 2007. He has several family members who have also been employed at the agency. He was terminated Aug. 11, 2020, due to “personnel issues,” according to Oakman.
His wife, Zee, filed a lawsuit against KCKPD alleging “rampant racism and sexism” in 2019, The Associated Press reported last year.
