Off-Duty Cop Wins Gun Battle Against Armed Home Invader Threatening His Family

Wichita, KS – An off-duty Wichita police officer was shot by a home intruder early Tuesday morning during an exchange of gunfire that sent both the officer and the suspect to the hospital.

Police responded to the off-duty officer’s residence at 3:17 a.m., Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said during a press conference late Tuesday morning.

Investigators learned that the unnamed officer, his wife, and their two children were asleep in the residence when they were awakened by a man inside their house.

Investigators believed a door to the residence might have been left unlocked, because there were no signs of forced entry, Chief Ramsay said.

“The intruder had a firearm and began ordering the off-duty officer, giving him directions on what to do,” the chief explained. “The off-duty officer was able to retrieve a handgun, and a shootout ensued.”

Police said that “numerous rounds” were fired by both the officer and the suspect during the altercation.

The officer was shot once in the leg, and the suspect, identified as 24-year-old Christian Webb, was shot “multiple times,” Chief Ramsay said.

Webb used a stolen handgun to carry out the attack, he added.

The officer’s family members were not injured during the gun battle.

Webb and the off-duty officer were both rushed to a local hospital, and the officer subsequently underwent surgery, KAKE reported.

He has since been released from the hospital, according to KWCH.

“We are very, very thankful that his injury ended up not being as severe as initially thought,” Chief Ramsay said.

Webb died at the hospital later in the morning, according to the chief.

“We still don’t know whether this was a targeted event or if it was random,” he said. “And we may never know, because the suspect is no longer alive.”

Investigators also suspect that Webb may have broken into a couple of vehicles near the off-duty officer’s residence.

The officer’s work-related training may well have saved his family’s lives, Chief Ramsay said.

“This is everybody’s nightmare, to wake up to an intruder in your home with a weapon and threatening you and your family,” Chief Ramsay continued. “We are very thankful that the officer should recover without any issues… We pray for a speedy recovery for him and his family.”

In accordance with policy, an administrative investigation into the officer-involved shooting was being conducted in addition to the criminal investigation, the chief said.