In the small town of Sun City, Kansas, the evening of October 6, 2017, ended in the death of 42-year-old Steven Myers, a local ranch and oilfield worker. The White male was fatally shot by a law enforcement officer during a confrontation. The incident began after Myers, who was reportedly intoxicated, was involved in an altercation at a local bar. Although he had returned home and put away a shotgun he was seen with earlier, Barber County Sheriff's deputies, including Undersheriff Virgil "Dusty" Brewer, located him in a shed near a residence.
Deputies gave Myers conflicting commands to show his hands and get on the ground. As Myers emerged from the shed, unarmed, Brewer fired a single beanbag round from his personal 12-gauge shotgun at close range. The beanbag, which was of a discontinued and potentially defective type, penetrated Myers' chest, causing a fatal wound. He died at the scene. Body camera footage from other officers captured the moments leading up to the shooting and its immediate aftermath.
In the wake of the shooting, Virgil Brewer was charged with involuntary manslaughter. An investigation revealed that Brewer was not trained in the use of the beanbag round he fired and that the ammunition had been given to him by a former colleague in Texas. During his trial, Brewer's defense argued that he made a split-second decision in a tense situation and was unaware the beanbag round was defective. In November 2022, a jury acquitted Brewer of the charge.
Following the criminal trial, Brewer's conduct was reviewed by the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training. The commission described his actions as "unprofessional" and lacking "good moral character," leading to the revocation of his peace officer certification. A federal civil rights lawsuit was also filed by Myers' widow against Barber County. The county settled the lawsuit in 2020 for $3.5 million.
