Jason Eugene Harwood, a 40-year-old White male, was a Corporal with the Topeka Police Department who was killed in the line of duty on September 7, 2014. On that Sunday afternoon, at approximately 4:45 p.m., Harwood conducted a traffic stop in the 3200 block of SE Sixth Avenue in east Topeka. During the stop, an occupant of the vehicle opened fire, fatally wounding the 15-year veteran of the police force.
Harwood, a decorated officer who had served in the hit-and-run and K-9 units, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later. He was survived by his wife and two sons.
The investigation into Corporal Harwood's death quickly led to the identification of suspects. Ross Preston Lane, 30 years old at the time, was identified as the shooter. After fleeing the scene, Lane contacted Randy Ridens Jr., who picked him up on a stolen motorcycle. Their escape was hampered when the motorcycle broke down in Douglas County. Lane later arranged to turn himself in to law enforcement in Lawrence on the same evening as the shooting. Ridens was also taken into custody.
Ross Preston Lane was charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Corporal Jason Harwood. Witnesses reported that Lane had expressed his refusal to return to prison before he opened fire as Harwood approached his vehicle. Lane ultimately pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. On December 24, 2015, Lane was found unresponsive in his cell at the El Dorado Correctional Facility and died shortly thereafter. Randy Ridens Jr. faced charges of possession of stolen property, obstruction, and a probation violation for his role in assisting Lane after the murder.
