Wichita, KS

1/3/19 KAKE:

The number of homicides rose by 13 percent in 2018, the highest in decades, justifiable homicides more than doubling.  The chief sat down with KAKE's Pilar Pedraza to take a closer look at what's going on.

"A significant number of the homicides in 2018 have a drug connection," he said.
Police investigated a total of 44 homicides in Wichita last year.  A homicide legally is when one human kills another.  Some homicides are legal, some are crimes.

It started on January 8th with what's called a justifiable homicide, a case of self-defense.
"Our first two homicides were one incident - where a homeowner...had people at his door with guns and he shot and killed both of them," Ramsay said.  "And that's how the year started out,  was our first two homicides were  justifiable."

Justifiable homicides climbed to a high of nine confirmed last year, with Chief Ramsay expecting a shooting last week to become number ten on that list.

"You know when we look at last week's, very obviously justified you know, with a store being robbed. He had had a gun pointed in his face."