Lawrence, Kansas – A district court judge dismissed criminal charges pending against a former Lawrence police officer who shot and injured a convicted felon as he was attacking one of her fellow officers.
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Lawrence Police Officer Brindley Blood, 36, was charged with felony aggravated battery amid accusations that she acted recklessly when she wounded the suspect in May of 2018.
She later said she meant to use her Taser to subdue the combative man, not her duty weapon, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.
Douglas County District Court Judge Peggy Kittel determined that the evidence did not indicate that Officer Blood acted recklessly during the altercation, WDAF reported.
“To consciously disregard something, one must be aware of it,” Kittel said, according to the Lawrence Journal-World. “There is no evidence that the defendant consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk … She meant to use her Taser.”
The incident occurred at approximately 5:15 p.m. on May 29, 2018, when Lawrence Police Officer Ian McCann initiated a traffic stop on 35-year-old Akira Lewis for failing to wear a seatbelt, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.
Officer McCann jumped out of the way of the vehicle, and told Lewis to stop.
Lewis assured the officer that he’d been taken to jail for a seatbelt violation in the past.
The officer gave him several more opportunities to comply, but Lewis remained obstinate.
When Officer Blood arrived at the scene, Officer McCann opened the driver’s side door and attempted to remove Lewis from the SUV.
Officer Blood tried to assist him by reaching into the passenger side of Lewis’ vehicle, but they were unable to budge him.
Officer McCann again asked him calmly to step out, at which point Lewis suddenly bolted out of the vehicle and attacked the officer, dashcam footage showed.
The irate suspect grabbed onto the officer and slammed him onto the ground in front of oncoming traffic, then punched him in the head.
Officer Blood rushed over to the melee.
“Taser! Taser! Taser!” she announced, just before she shot Lewis in the back with her duty weapon.
Lewis immediately stopped fighting and began yelling in pain.
“S--t – I shot him!” Officer Blood said, holstering her weapon.
Additional officers pulled up at the scene, and helped place Lewis in handcuffs.
Lewis was transported to a local hospital in stable condition. He was ultimately treated and released.
Officer Blood, who had been with the Lawrence Police Department for about two months prior to the altercation, resigned from her position on Jan. 28, according to the Kansas City Star.
Investigators later discovered that Lewis had three outstanding warrants at the time of the incident. He was also previously convicted of felony aggravated battery in Douglas County, after he struck a man with a baseball bat in 2016, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.
He was sentenced to probation for that offense.
Lewis has been charged with misdemeanor offenses of driving without proof of insurance, interference with law enforcement, failing to wear a seatbelt, and battery against a law enforcement officer.
He was released from jail on a $2,000 personal recognizance bond, and is due back in court in June.
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