An Atchison, KS Man is Dead, Allegedly at the Hands of an Officer

An Atchison, Kansas man is dead, allegedly at the hands of a law enforcement officer. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) remains quiet about the week-long investigation. KQ2 has learned that 47-year-old David Vandiver of Atchison was allegedly shot to death by a Marshall County sheriff`s deputy in Pottawatomie County Kansas. This comes after the deputy allegedly pursued Vandiver by car the night of April 30. The KBI has not confirmed if Vandiver had a weapon. The KBI says because the investigation involves multiple jurisdictions, it will not release any information about the case until all witnesses are interviewed. The Marshall County deputy, whose name has not been released, has been suspended with pay until the investigation is over. The Atchison County sheriff says quick thinking is mandatory of any law enforcement officer`s job, including the decision to fire or give chase. Atchison County Deputy Jeremy Peak hits target practice to perfect his aim in potentially dangerous situations. "In real life, it happens very fast, and you have to make decisions very fast," Deputy Peak says. That quick timing can leave officer defending their decision. "You don`t pull your weapon for display purposes. When you pull your service revolver, your weapon, it`s intended to be used," Atchison County Sheriff John Calhoon says. Calhoon says if a suspect is pointing a weapon at an officer, that officer is trained to shoot a one-stop shot. "If you shoot in the leg, for example, you`re taking a risk at shooting at a smaller target, and it moves a lot more," Deputy Peak says. "We`re actually trained as a last resort to kill, but if we have someone that pulls a weapon on us and we do not shoot to kill then we`re basically putting our lives in danger," Sheriff Calhoon says. But, if the suspect is unarmed... "That certainly raises a lot more questions to be answered if you happen to shoot someone that is not armed," Sheriff Calhoon says. Sheriff Calhoon says using a non-deadly taser can be an altrnate method to firearms. "It depends on the distance between you and the weapon that`s being used against you--that could be less than a firearm, like a knife," Sheriff Calhoon says. "ost real-life encounters happen within seven yards," Deputy Peak says. Bt when that distance is compromised by cars, Siff Clhoon warns his deputies to delay before giving chase. "ur adreneline gets to pumping or we may be heavily involved with the suspect, and sometimes it`s not easy for us to make good common-sense decisions when our adreneline is pumping," Sheriff Calhoon says. Seriff Clhoon makes his deputies call for back up and a second opinion when car chases may be called for.