Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said there will be no charges filed against a Wichita police officer who was involved in a New Year’s Eve scuffle at a south side business.
The officer was working off-duty when he was trying to help a female officer subdue a 15-year-old girl who had been asked to leave Roller City in the 3200 block of South Meridian. The girl’s 16-year-old boyfriend ran into the business and punched the officer in the head, then the officer pushed the teen and used pepper spray to subdue him. Both teens were arrested.
Bennett said when the teen rushed in and punched the officer, it was an illegal act because state law does not give people the authority to resist arrest. He said “you cannot run up and punch cops when they’re doing their job.” Bennett said the action triggered the officer’s ability to defend himself, and state law provides for self-defense immunity.
Bennett said he can’t find that the officer’s actions were unreasonable and there are no grounds for a misdemeanor battery charge against the officer.
Bennett did not say what charges the two teenagers might be facing, but he indicated there are circumstances to consider. He said the teenage girl had gone through a traumatic situation in her personal life that had no bearing on the skating rink, and that affected the situation on New Year’s Eve.
