SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement have a suspect in custody after he fired a rifle at undercover officers during a surveillance mission tied to recent armed robberies in the area.
On Saturday, Wichita Police Department officers were in an unmarked vehicle n the 1400 block of N. Grove, monitoring a residence connected to the investigation of multiple recent armed robberies, according to Police Department spokesman Andrew Ford. A silver vehicle, suspected to be involved in the crimes, was parked at the residence.
Officers observed individuals enter the vehicle, drive away, and promptly initiated a traffic stop, detaining the individuals for questioning.
Meanwhile, officers continued their surveillance of the target residence. As they remained stationed near the northwest corner of 14th and Grove, an unknown man approached the unmarked vehicle, attempting to peer inside. The man then turned back towards the residence, engaging in conversation with another individual.
Shortly thereafter, a second man emerged from the residence carrying a rifle. Without warning, he pointed the weapon in the direction of the officers and fired one round. The officer in the unmarked vehicle immediately retreated, tactically repositioning and establishing a perimeter around the residence.
The suspect, later identified according to Sedgwick County Booking records as 54-year-old Mark K. Maples, armed with a rifle, retreated back inside the home and barricaded himself within the property. Officers on the scene attempted to make verbal contact, urging the Maples to surrender peacefully, but their efforts were initially met with no response.
SWAT and the Negotiation Team were deployed, and after a standoff, the Maples was taken into custody without further incident. Upon securing the residence, officers recovered a rifle believed to have been used in the incident. Maples is being held on requested charges that include criminal discharge of a firearm and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer.