HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County District Attorney’s Office has determined that a Hutchinson police officer was legally justified in the fatal shooting of Cassondra Scott during a March 29 incident in Hutchinson.
Reno County District Attorney Thomas Stanton said Thursday his office reviewed the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s findings and concluded there was not sufficient evidence to establish a criminal violation by the officer.
The full report can be viewed below.
The shooting happened shortly after 9 p.m. March 29 in the 200 block of West 28th Avenue. According to Stanton’s report, Hutchinson police were called after Scott reportedly pointed a rifle at homes and threatened to shoot people.
During a 911 call, Scott made several statements indicating she had a gun and intended to shoot. According to the report, Scott told dispatch she was “going to start shooting” and said officers “needed to have their guns ready.” Dispatchers pleaded with Scott to put the gun down, but she refused.
The report said Hutchinson police had prior contact with Scott earlier that day. At 5:52 p.m., dispatch received a call stating Scott was suicidal and had threatened to pull a gun on officers in an attempt to have police shoot her.
Officers tried to contact Scott by phone and text while responding to the scene, but she did not answer.
When officers arrived, they found Scott outside her residence at 207 W. 28th Ave. holding what appeared to be a rifle. The report said Scott pointed the gun at an officer who first approached from the west. That officer backed away and took cover.
Other officers arrived from the east and stopped near the Adams Street intersection. According to the report, officers could see what appeared to be a bolt-action hunting rifle with a scope. Scott pointed the firearm at multiple officers and moved toward them.
The report said officers attempted to verbally de-escalate the situation for about two and a half minutes and repeatedly ordered Scott to drop the gun. Scott refused and continued to threaten officers.
According to the report, Scott yelled, “I will shoot,” and “I will not put the gun down, shoot me.”
At least one neighbor came outside during the incident, and officers directed the neighbor to go back inside because of the danger.
Stanton’s report said Scott continued advancing toward officers while pointing the rifle in their direction. An officer fired two shots, one of which struck Scott in the abdomen.
Officers immediately provided first aid and helped EMS load Scott into an ambulance. Scott was taken to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center and later transferred to a Wichita hospital, where she died from her injuries.
Investigators later determined the weapon Scott had was an air rifle. The report said the rifle was black, had a scope attached and had no visible markings indicating it was an air rifle. Stanton said the weapon was indistinguishable from an actual firearm under the conditions officers faced.
Stanton cited Kansas law allowing the use of deadly force when a person reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to themselves or another person.
“Based on a review of all the evidence, Scott committed several felonies,” Stanton wrote in the report, including aggravated assault of multiple law enforcement officers and criminal threat.
Stanton concluded that officers were placed in a difficult situation involving an armed person who had made repeated threats to shoot people and refused commands to drop the weapon.
“The Hutchinson Police Officer involved in this incident reacted based on both an objective and subjective reasonable belief that the use of lethal force was necessary to protect themselves and other citizens from great bodily injury or death,” Stanton wrote. “The Hutchinson Police Officer’s actions were legally justified.”
Stanton concluded the officer was absolved of wrongdoing.
