January 18, 2023

CHEROKEE COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting incident that occurred Monday night in rural Cherokee County.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office contacted the KBI on Jan. 16, at approximately 8:30 p.m., to request assistance investigating the shooting. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team (CSRT) responded to the scene.

At around 5:20 p.m. on Monday, a woman called 911 from a residence at 9550 SE Bobcat in Galena, Kansas, to report a disturbance where a man was being held at gunpoint by another male subject. The armed man then left the residence in a Ford F-250 flatbed truck.

Preliminary information indicates that around 5:30 p.m., deputies from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office spotted the pickup truck. The driver of the truck, later identified as Phillip A. Doerr, 28, of Falls City, Nebraska, did not stop, and they engaged in a short vehicle pursuit.

The truck came to a stop near the intersection of SE 100^th St. and SE Messer Rd., in Galena. Doerr exited the truck while firing a handgun at responding deputies. Multiple rounds from Doerr’s firearm hit a patrol vehicle. Both deputies returned fire, and Doerr fled into a tree line. Shots were fired at 5:42 p.m. 

Then at 5:46 p.m., deputies heard a single gunshot coming from the treed area. They established a perimeter and called for drone and aircraft assistance to locate the man. At approximately 8 p.m., Doerr was discovered deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. An autopsy will be conducted, but no other gunshot wounds were evident. No law enforcement officers were hurt during the incident.

The KBI will conduct a thorough and independent investigation into this incident. Once the investigation concludes, the findings will be turned over to the Cherokee County Attorney for review. This investigation is ongoing. No further information will be released at this time.