KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kansas, led a prayer for fallen Wyandotte County Sheriff's Deputy Elijah Ming, 34, during Sunday's service.
On Saturday, Ming was killed after responding to what started out as a domestic dispute, according to the KCK Police Department.
For churchgoer Terri Williams, the prayer was personal.
"He went there to make sure that this woman was OK, and he did his job to the fullest. He ended up dying; all praises to him," Williams said.
A woman told authorities she was trying to move out of a residence at 2627 S. 30th Street when a male subject threatened her and her friends with a firearm. She called police to ask them to accompany her as she moved out.
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When Ming and a KCK police officer approached the front door, investigators say Shawn Harris, 38, started shooting at them. Ming died from his injuries.
Williams, a Kansas City, Kansas, resident, is a survivor of domestic violence.
"It just took me back to that situation when I saw what was happening," she said of when she learned about the deadly shooting.
Williams said she often called the police to her home when she was a victim of domestic violence.
"When I would call the police, they would come," she recalled. "But he would say, 'If you say anything, I'm going to kill you when they leave.' So what option did I have?"
She said it took her a while to leave her husband, as the restraining order she had against him did not protect her. Now, as a survivor, she would like to see more protection for victims.
"It's really dangerous," Williams said.
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Williams said it felt like the "right thing to do" for her pastor to lead a prayer for Ming and his family on Sunday.
"It felt good in my heart," Williams said. "I love the Lord, I love God, and so God is going to take care of this man because so many prayers are going up for him and his family."
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KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
