Armored vehicles allow police to safely apprehend active shooter at Sports Complex

Armored vehicles allowed Kansas City Police to safely apprehend an active shooter and end a stand-off at the Truman Sports Complex on Saturday.

Officers were dispatched to the Sports Complex about 10:30 a.m. Sept. 12 about someone firing shots at stadium employees. The shooter, later identified as 33-year-old Joshua D. Newton, was still armed and walking around the complex when police arrived. He was armed with two handguns. One victim, a stadium grounds employee, had been shot at but was not struck. He was able to call police while taking cover behind port-a-potties.  

KCPD used its two armored vehicles, and brought additional armored vehicles from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Independence Police Department. Officers initially used the vehicles to safely transport out stadium employees and officers who had been pinned down by the gunman. Then, officers lined the armored vehicles up to provide cover to exposed employees of the stadiums. Police remained in regular contact with nearby stakeholders, such as executives from the Chiefs and Royals. There were no games or other events happening at the stadiums at the time. Police locked down the Truman Sports Complex. Everyone inside had to shelter in place.

After lengthy negotiations, police ultimately used an armored vehicle to end the stand-off with Newton. At about 6:10 p.m. police pulled an armored vehicle up to Newton and shot him with a Taser through a porthole. An arrest team was then able to safely get Newton into custody.

“The fact we had armored vehicles allowed us to close the distance on the subject, making less-lethal munitions possible,” Captain David Jackson said. “It’s highly likely that armored vehicles, used in this manner, saved this person’s life. They specifically acted as a piece of de-escalation equipment and allowed officers to safely remove civilians from the area.”  

Officers recovered two guns and a knife from Newton. Further investigation revealed he had made homicidal threats on social media just prior to coming to the Sports Complex. Emergency medical professionals evaluated Newton at the scene, and he was then transported to jail. He has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon, terroristic threats and armed criminal action and is being held on a $40,000 cash-only bond.