Officials say use of force justified in December 2025 police shooting at Panasonic plant

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Johnson County, Kansas, District Attorney's Office discussed Friday a police shooting that resulted in the death of a stabbing suspect in December 2025.

Jonathan Lunceford, 55 at the time, was suspected of stabbing a man Dec. 12, 2025, at the Panasonic battery plant in De Soto, Kansas.

During an interaction with Johnson County Sheriff's Office deputies at the scene, Lunceford was shot and killed.

On Friday, officials said the use of force by the deputy who shot Lunceford was justified in the deadly shooting.

You can watch the press conference in the video player below.

Lunceford was given multiple commands by police to stop as police tried to arrest him. He was tased by police before he moved toward "Deputy B," according to a report from Johnson County District Attorney Stephen Howe.

Lunceford continued running away from the deputies toward an exit where bystanders were located inside the plant. "Deputy A" shot him as he fled.

Howe also said during the press conference Friday that the motive for the stabbing was still unclear, and coworkers at the plant were "shocked" by the incident, as no prior conduct by Lunceford indicated something like this might happen.

The stabbing victim, who was 54 at the time of the incident, recovered from his injuries, per Howe.

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