KBI: Armed man kills himself near Galena

According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, a woman called 911 from a residence at 9550 S.E. Bobcat in Galena to report a disturbance where a man was being held at gunpoint by another man. The armed man then left the residence in a Ford F-250 flatbed truck.

Preliminary information indicates that around 5:30 p.m. Monday that deputies from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office spotted the pickup truck. The driver of the truck, later identified as Phillip A. Doerr, 28, of Falls City, Nebraska, did not stop, and they engaged in a short vehicle pursuit.

The truck came to a stop near the intersection of Southeast 100th Street and Southeast Messer Road at Galena. Doerr left the truck while firing a handgun at deputies. Multiple rounds from Doerr’s firearm hit a patrol vehicle. Both deputies returned fire, and Doerr ran into a tree line. Shots were fired at 5:42 p.m.

At 5:46 p.m., deputies heard a single gunshot coming from the tree line. They established a perimeter and called for drone and aircraft assistance to find the man. At 8 p.m., Doerr was discovered deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. An autopsy will be conducted, but no other gunshot wounds were evident. No law enforcement officers were hurt during the incident.

In accordance with agency protocol, the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office asked for the KBI to investigate the officer-involved shooting.

Once the investigation concludes, the findings will be turned over to the Cherokee County attorney for review. This investigation is ongoing.