KANSAS CITY, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
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A Kansas City, Kansas, man was shot and killed by a city police officer Friday, Nov. 6, marking the fifth officer-involved shooting in the city this year. His death has renewed calls from community advocates for stronger mental health crisis responses from law enforcement.
WATCH | Advocates demand reform after KCK officer shoots and kills Jesse West
Jesse James West, 36, was identified as the man who was shot. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) says officers from the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department (KCKPD) were dispatched to the 6500 block of Kansas Avenue at approximately 7:35 p.m. after a caller reported a family member was behaving erratically in his vehicle in her driveway. That family member was later identified as West.
At approximately 7:50 p.m., two KCKPD officers arrived and approached West's SUV. KBI says officers reported seeing that West had a firearm, then retreated to cover and gave West several commands to exit the vehicle with his hands up. Officers approached the SUV a second time, repeating similar commands. At approximately 7:56 p.m., an officer fired one round, striking West.
KCKPD requested KBI assistance at approximately 8:25 p.m. Life-saving measures were attempted, and EMS transported West to the University of Kansas Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased. No officers were injured.
After the shooting, KBI says “rifle components” were found at the scene. KCKPD noted that evidence located in public spaces does not require a search warrant and would not be listed on a search warrant inventory.
The KBI says the information released at this time is preliminary, based on evidence collected and early statements from parties involved, witnesses and medical personnel. Final findings, which are expected to take several weeks to complete, will be presented to the Wyandotte County District Attorney for review. The investigation remains ongoing.
Community and family advocate William Rogers has spent the days since the shooting comforting West's family.
Other advocates, like Erin Fanning, have been vocal on Facebook. She says she was a friend of West's.
"When you sit with the family that's lost somebody, you can't help but feel it,” William Rogers said. “You can't help but feel it."
He had a simple message for the public about West.
"Don't forget the name Jesse West. It matters,” Rogers said. "I feel for the family, you know, this was a brother, a son, a father, and now he's gone. And every life matters."
Rogers has followed all five officer-involved shootings in KCK this year. He said the community cannot let these incidents become routine.
KSHB 41 has reported on all five of these incidents:
- Jesse Fitzgerel | Kansas City mom was inches away when KCKPD officer killed her son
- Jorge Arellano | KCK man shot by officer after throwing knives during mental health crisis near Quindaro Park
- Bruce Thomas | Mother mourns son fatally shot by KCKPD officer amid growing questions about mental health response
- Leonel Lozoya-Espara | Neighbors describe hearing gunshots before Kansas City, Kansas, police officer killed armed 19-year-old
- Jesse James West | Kansas City, Kansas, police officer shoots and kills man, KBI investigating
"We get complacent with it and it comes to be the norm. This ain't normal,” Rogers said.
Rogers is calling for accountability from city leadership. He said he wants to hear from the District Attorney and the mayor, and is pushing for a full investigation of KCKPD. He directed a message to the police department, calling for transparency about how these incidents are handled.
"Tell us how this plays out,” Rogers said.
Rogers and other advocates are calling for more crisis intervention training (CIT) team members and expanded hours for mental health co-responders.
Currently, KCKPD has one dedicated CIT officer and two mental health co-responders. The co-responder positions are contractual through Wyandotte Center for Community Behavioral Healthcare, which sets their hours as Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
KCKPD says that in addition to responding to calls, co-responders spend a significant portion of their time on follow-ups, coordinating with social service organizations and treatment facilities, and providing ongoing support — the vast majority of which requires traditional business hours. Advocates want that coverage extended to handle incidents outside those hours.
Rogers said he envisions a more flexible model for crisis response.
"They need to be in those cars roving the city where we can call them to an emergency call just like we would any other city,” Rogers said.
KCKPD says 74% of its officers are CIT certified, meaning there are usually one or two certified officers per shift.
Rogers said the latest shooting reflects a broader problem with how police handle crisis situations.
"It goes back to deescalation over escalation, and I think too often, they escalate situations,” Rogers said.
The family has since created a GoFundMe for West's funeral expenses.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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