HAYS, Kan. — A Hays Police Department officer was killed in the line of duty early Sunday morning while responding to a domestic violence call. Authorities confirmed the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Zane Wickham, was later found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the incident began late Saturday, Sept. 27, when a woman escaped a domestic violence situation at Wickham’s residence in the 2000 block of E. 21st Street. She reported that Wickham had rammed his truck into her vehicle as she fled before seeking help at a nearby home.
Around 1:55 a.m. Sunday, Hays officers and a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper established a perimeter near Wickham’s home in the 2200 block of Downing Avenue. Investigators say a single gunshot was fired from inside the house, striking a Hays officer. Despite immediate life-saving efforts and transport by air to a regional hospital, the officer succumbed to his injuries shortly after 4 a.m.
A standoff followed, with law enforcement deploying gas munitions, window-breaking projectiles, and a drone to monitor the residence. Negotiations with Wickham were unsuccessful. At about 6:15 a.m., tactical teams entered the home and discovered Wickham deceased.
The fallen officer’s identity has not yet been released, pending family notification. The investigation remains ongoing under the direction of the KBI.
