Police Car Set on Fire at Wichita Officer's Home

April 29--Someone crept up to a Wichita police car parked on a residential street early last Saturday morning and set it on fire.

The officer who drives the car awoke shortly after 2 a.m. in his home in the area of Douglas and Oliver and found the car "engulfed in flames," a police report states.

"I've never heard of a cop car catching on fire, let alone being intentionally set on fire" in Wichita, said Lt. Kelly Zane, who has 26 years with the Wichita Fire Department ? the last six as a fire investigator.

There's no question the fire was intentionally set, fire officials said.

"Ignitable liquid was present outside the vehicle," Zane said, declining to offer more details.

Nothing indicates the officer was specifically targeted, officials said. But police said it's possible the patrol car was targeted in retaliation for the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy by a police officer in the backyard of a house in the 1200 block of West Crawford, just southwest of Pawnee and Seneca, early on the morning of April 13.

"That's something that we're taking into consideration," Zane said.

The teen was one of four people witnesses said were holding a family at gunpoint during a home robbery at the house, police have said. Someone inside the house called 911 to report the robbery and officers surrounded the house.

Some of the officers peered inside the house and saw men with guns, police officials said. Three men ran out the back door trying to escape.

In their hands, police officials have said, the officers could see what looked like guns. An officer with a shotgun fired multiple shots and struck one of the men who had turned toward him.

The other two men continued to run, and when they refused to stop running, another officer fired his handgun several times, striking both.

Eleven people have been shot in officer-involved shootings in or near Wichita this year. Four have died. No officers have been killed or wounded.

Investigators won't know the actual motive for torching the police car "until we get someone into custody," Fire Capt. Stuart Bevis said.

Police officials hope to be able to salvage the heavily damaged car and return it to service.

Authorities "have some pretty significant leads," Zane said, but no arrests have been made.

Reach Stan Finger at or [email protected].

Copyright 2012 - The Wichita Eagle, Kan.