KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City man has been charged in the deadly shooting of an off-duty Lee’s Summit police officer in Westport.
Sean Steward, 22, is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and two counts of armed criminal action in Officer Thomas Orr's death.
According to court records, KC police responded to Californos Restaurant in Westport on a reported shooting after 8 p.m. on August 20. One victim had been shot and killed and another was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound.
The victim who died was later identified as Orr.
Court documents say witnesses told police the suspect’s first name and social media information for the suspect’s ex-girlfriend. A witness also told police they saw the suspect fire the gun.
According to court documents, a witness said the shooting happened after one man hit another in the face, causing him to fall to the floor. A witness said the suspect then fired a gun into the crowd.
Another witness told police people at the party told her Steward fired the shots that killed the off-duty officer and injured a woman.
Orr's friend, Brandon Kendrick, is relieved to hear charges were filed after not hearing anything for weeks.
"Almost a month has transpired no leads, nothing new, no good news...... it was nothing," said Kendrick. "Nothing after nothing. It's like a huge relief."
Orr was an officer with the Lee’s Summit Police Department since March 2015 and was assigned as a school resource officer at Bernard Campbell Middle School. Prior to joining LSPD, Orr worked for the Marshall, Missouri Police Department.
Steward made his first court appearance Thursday. He pleaded not guilty and said he can afford his own lawyer. Bond was set at $500,000.
