WICHITA, KAN. (AP) — A Kansas man charged with shooting at police during protests last month told a co-worker that he “emptied a whole clip” on officers after his sister was hit with a rubber bullet while holding a baby.
An arrest affidavit released Friday in the criminal case against 28-year-old Henry Parker of Wichita says he admitted to the co-worker that he’d fired on officers early on June 2 but told her “don't tell on me."
Parker, who has denied any involvement in the shooting, is charged with 19 counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, two counts of aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer and one count of criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.
None of the officers was shot, but police said one officer’s helmet was hit by bullet pieces that had ricocheted near the officers.
Police Chief Gordon Ramsay has previously said officers fired tear gas, smoke rounds, flash grenades and foam bullets into the crowd that morning after rioters threw objects at police and refused to leave. The unrest followed a mostly peaceful protest calling for the end of police brutality in response to the May 25 death of George Floyd.