In the late morning of September 29, 2022, tragedy struck in Topeka, Kansas, claiming the life of 55-year-old Gregory Dean Butts, a White male. The incident, which unfolded in the 3500 block of SW Kerry Avenue, was the result of a shooting that left Butts with a fatal gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Another individual was also wounded in the attack and rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Topeka Police investigators quickly identified 33-year-old
Eric D. Perkins of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, as the suspect. Law enforcement officials described the connection between Perkins and Butts as being of a domestic nature. A search for Perkins was initiated, and a Topeka police officer soon spotted the suspect's vehicle in the Hi-Crest neighborhood of the city. Perkins fled, leading to a police pursuit that ended in a dramatic confrontation in downtown Topeka, near the intersection of SW 6th Avenue and South Kansas Avenue.
The chase culminated in a tense shootout as Perkins fired multiple shots at the assembled law enforcement officers, who had been joined by deputies from the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office. The officers returned fire, and in the exchange, a Topeka police officer was struck by a bullet. The injured officer was transported to a local hospital for treatment and was subsequently released. Perkins was also injured during the gunfight and was hospitalized. Perkins had a criminal history, with prior convictions for second-degree assault and drug possession in Missouri.
