Olathe police officer justified in fatal shooting of man breaking into home: Prosecutor
An Olathe police officer who fatally shot a man as he was allegedly breaking into a neighbor’s home with a loaded handgun last October was justified in using deadly force and will not face criminal charges, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe announced Friday.
Further, Howe credited the officer with saving the lives of seven people who were inside the home.
Officials identified the man who was shot as Dane Laing, a resident of the street where the shooting took place, and have said the incident followed a series of confrontations between Laing and his neighbors.
Howe said he found the officer acted appropriately in the defense of the people who were inside the home Laing was allegedly breaking into.
“In fact, my finding is that this officer actually probably saved lives that day through his quick reaction to save the individuals in that house from imminent harm as (Laing) was kicking in the door with a loaded handgun,” he said. “One of the other pieces of evidence recovered was Mr. Laing had two additional clips with him so he had enough firepower to inflict a lot of damage on that family. We should credit that officer for saving the lives of those individuals inside the home.”
The Oct. 10, 2023, shooting followed a dispute between neighbors in the 23000 block of 126th Terrace, according to a report on the shooting released by prosecutors. Laing’s neighbor reported that Laing had threatened his brother by making a “gun gesture” with his hand and also reported “several” previous confrontations, including one in which Laing attempted to hit him.
Officers responded and spoke with Laing, and the man eventually went into his home and came out running through the front yard toward his neighbor’s home. Body camera video of the incident shows Laing bolting through the yard and carrying a handgun.
The Olathe officer opened fire on Laing as the man kicked open the door to his neighbor’s home, according to both the report and a police bodycam video that the prosecutor played at a news conference Friday.
Laing entered the home, and a shot could be heard inside the home. The officer fired again at Laing, and the man fell to the ground.
This story will be updated.
