Kansas deputy, suspect killed in exchange of gunfire after a call about fireworks, authorities say
Jun 28, 2025, 11:16 AM | Updated: 1:12 pm
PHILLIPSBURG, Kansas (AP) — A sheriff’s deputy in Kansas responding to a call about fireworks died after being shot by a man who was then killed by the fatally wounded deputy, authorities said.
Phillips County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Brandon Gaede, 30, was pronounced dead at a hospital about an hour after the shooting Friday evening in Phillipsburg, the sheriff’s office said. The city of about 2,000 people is near the state’s border with Nebraska.
The sheriff’s office said Gaede was responding to a call about illegal, non-consumer-grade fireworks being detonated at a home in the city when he made contact with Kolton Griffith, a resident at the home believed to be responsible for the fireworks.
When Gaede tried to place Griffith in handcuffs after developing probable cause to arrest him, a struggle broke out and Griffith pulled out a handgun that had been concealed and shot Gaede, the sheriff’s office said.
Despite being struck by gunfire, Gaede returned fire, hitting Griffith multiple times, the sheriff’s office said. Griffith died at the scene.
The shooting will be investigated by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.
