A 45-year-old man who was shot by a Shawnee County sheriff's deputy Sunday morning is a veteran struggling with depression, his wife said Monday.
David Kershaw, 45, was shot and wounded by deputies in 1900 block of N.W. 39th. He was transported to The University of Kansas Medical Center, where he was scheduled to undergo surgery, said De'De Kershaw, who has been married to David for 10 years.
A hospital spokesperson on Monday said he couldn't confirm or deny that Kershaw was at the hospital.
Deputies responded about 5:45 a.m. Sunday to 1927 N.W. 39th to investigate a reported domestic disturbance called in to 911, according to the Topeka Police Department, who is handling the investigation into the incident.
When deputies arrived, they found Kershaw on the front porch armed with a handgun. Other deputies responded to the scene to secure the area as officers negotiated with the man.
Negotiations continued for about one hour when the man fired the handgun toward deputies, said Topeka Police Capt. Jerry Stanley.
"There were several deputies on scene when the standoff and negotiations occurred," Stanley said. "The gunfire from the suspect threatened their lives. It is believed that one deputy returned fire, causing injury to Mr. Kershaw. Exact details of the incident will be discovered and documented as the investigation continues. The investigation has been supported by audio-visual recordings on the scene."
The name of the deputy involved wasn't released, but Stanley did say the deputy has eight years of experience and is on administrative leave during the investigation.
De'De Kershaw said she doesn't think her husband fired any shots at officers.
"I don't want people to think he beats me," she said. "I don't know what was going on with him. He was very depressed. He's a wonderful man."
David Kershaw, whom his wife said was in the National Guard and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, was taking medication for his depression, his wife said.
"He was having trouble with the medications," De'De Kershaw said.
Sharon Watson, spokeswoman for the Kansas National Guard, said Kershaw served in the National Guard for 23 years and was discharged in 2007.
De'De Kershaw also said during their marriage she battled ovarian cancer, and she once had 127 staples from her breastbone to her pelvic bone.
"I could not do anything," she said. "The man carried me from room to room. He's a good man."
Ann Marie Bush can be reached
at (785) 295-1207 or [email protected] Follow her on Twitter @AnnieScribe.
Copyright 2012 The Topeka Capital-JournalAll Rights Reserved
