Suspect Charged in Fatal Shooting of Off-Duty Missouri Police Officer

Sept. 22, 2017
Sean D. Steward pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and assault in the Aug. 20 fatal shooting of off-duty Lee's Summit Police Officer Thomas Alvin Orr III.

KANSAS CITY -- A 22-year-old man charged with firing handgun into a crowd during a party in Westport and killing an off-duty Lee’s Summit police officer made his first court appearance on Thursday.

The court entered a plea of not guilty for Sean D. Steward of Kansas City to second-degree murder and assault in the Aug. 20 fatal shooting of Thomas Alvin Orr III.

Seward looked down as Circuit Court Judge Mary Weir read the criminal charges. Bond remained at $500,000.

Orr, 30, was fatally shot at a day party at Californos restaurant at 41st Street and Pennsylvania inside the entertainment district. Police said Orr, who also was a middle school resource officer, was not the intended target.

According to court records, a witness told investigators that they saw Steward fire a handgun and run down a flight of stairs and out of the bottom lower entrance of the restaurant.

The shooting happened after one man struck another man in the face, causing him to fall to the floor. Steward allegedly fired into the crowd, then sped away in a dark-color Dodge Charger. Another witness told police that several people at the party told her that Steward fired the shots that killed Orr and struck the woman.

Police found on social media sites photos from the party with names that witnesses said were identified with Steward. The photos had the Facebook names of “Stew Bird and Cuzzo Jay,” according to court records.

Orr had been with the Lee’s Summit Police Department since March 2015 and began assignment as a middle school resource officer on Aug. 14. Before that, he had worked for the Marshall, Mo., Police Department.

Police at first said the victim was shot after arguing with another man. However, further investigation revealed that Orr was an innocent bystander who was not involved in the disturbance.

Witnesses said that Orr took photographs at the party.

The next hearing in the case was set for Oct. 5. Steward said he plans to hire an attorney.

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©2017 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.)

Visit The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) at www.kansascity.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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