WPD investigating standoff, deputy-involved shooting in Haysville

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Wichita Police Department held a news conference on Thursday to give more information on the standoff and deputy-involved shooting in Haysville on Wednesday.

Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan said on Wednesday around 1:20 p.m., the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Warrant team — which consisted of five deputies and one sergeant — attempted to serve an arrest warrant to Robert Cook, 43, in the 8100 block of S. Berniece St.

At 2:55 p.m., deputies requested the assistance of a K-9, which was provided by the Haysville Police Department. After the K-9 cleared the residence, a team of deputies entered the home and believed Cook was locked in a bedroom

A sergeant and two deputies exited the home and prepared to deploy gas into the bedroom to end the barricade. At 3:48 p.m., a deputy broke out a bedroom window, and Cook fired at the deputies multiple times.

Two deputies returned fire, with one firing three rounds from a rifle and the other firing five rounds from a handgun. Neither Cook nor the deputies were injured in the exchange of gunfire.

The SWAT team, along with WPD negotiators, was deployed at 4:03 p.m.

The WPD said that at 4:41 p.m., negotiators contacted Cook by phone. Throughout the ensuing seven-hour negotiation, Cook made multiple statements that this was his “last stand” and that
he would shoot at officers if they made entry into the home.

Over the course of the next four hours and 20 minutes, negotiations deteriorated, and Cook continued to threaten law enforcement. Gas was deployed inside the home, and SWAT operators heard gunshots inside.

After the gas was deployed, Cook started talking to negotiators. The WPD said the focus remained on a peaceful resolution. He surrendered at 11:33 p.m.

The WPD said Cook was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on suspicion of three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. The investigation is ongoing as detectives are gathering additional information at the scene.

You can watch the press conference in full in the player below:

KSN does not normally name suspects until formal charges have been made, but in this case, the suspect was arrested on an approved arrest warrant stemming from a charged case.

“The warrant was for Failure to Appear and Contempt of Court stemming from an incident where Mr. Cook threatened to shoot bail bondsmen when they made an arrest attempt,” said WPD in a news release.

The facts of the incident will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office for formal charging consideration by investigators from the Wichita Police Department ALERT team members.

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