NEWTON, Kan. – At approximately 6:35 p.m. Tuesday evening, Newton Police Officers responded to the 1000 block of N. Boyd Ave. on a report of an emotionally disturbed man armed with a knife. When officers tried to contact the man, he ran out of the back of the apartment where he was confronted by an officer. The man refused to follow instructions and took an aggressive stance toward the officer.
Believing he was still armed with a knife, the officer deployed a less lethal gun, which fires little rubber balls similar to those shown in the photo. A taser was also used to safely take the man into custody. The man was transported to Newton Medical Center for a physical and mental assessment.
There were several onlookers, and police are aware that the less lethal gun looks and sounds like a lethal firearm. They wanted to assure the public that while the man may have suffered bruising, he has no permanent injuries.
His name was not released.