A Lenexa man has been charged with attempted capital murder of a law enforcement officer following Tuesday morning’s exchange of gunfire between a police officer and a fleeing suspect in Shawnee.
According to the criminal complaint filed by the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office, prosecutors allege that Isaac Alfonso Ortiz, 19, fired a handgun at an officer while intending to commit capital murder, “but failed or was prevented or intercepted during the attempt.”
Ortiz has also been charged with felony interference with law enforcement.
Prosecutors allege that Ortiz “did then and there unlawfully, feloniously, and knowingly flee from a law enforcement officer.”
The incident took place just after 5 a.m. on Tuesday in the area near 67th Street and Lackman Road.
Ortiz faces possibility of mandatory life sentence
If convicted of attempted capital murder, then Ortiz would face a statutorily mandated life sentence without the possibility of any reduction in sentence for at least 25 years.
A public defender has been appointed to represent him in future court appearances.
On Wednesday, Ortiz remained in the Johnson County Adult Detention Center in Olathe on a $500,000 bond.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, July 3, at 10 a.m.
Suspect has criminal record in multiple JoCo cities
District court records show that this isn’t Ortiz’s first encounter with law enforcement in Johnson County.
As a juvenile, he was arrested and charged in three separate cases.
In May of 2021, the Overland Park Police Department arrested Ortiz, and he was subsequently charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass. He completed a juvenile diversion program for that charge.
The Merriam Police Department then arrested him in September of 2022, and he was charged with misdemeanor battery. According to online court records, prosecutors dismissed that charge.
A month later, in October of 2022, Ortiz was arrested by Lenexa Police and charged with misdemeanor assault of a law enforcement officer and interference with a law enforcement officer.
He was sentenced to six months of probation for the interference charge. Prosecutors dismissed the assault of a law enforcement officer charge. A court order was issued just four months later calling for his early release from probation.
