On a Sunday evening in Topeka, Kansas, the life of 29-year-old White / Caucasian male, Jeffrey Glenn Atherly, was tragically cut short. It was December 16, 2012, when Atherly, a police officer with the Topeka Police Department for nearly two years, was dispatched to investigate a report of suspicious activity involving a vehicle in a grocery store parking lot on SW Huntoon Street.
Accompanied by his fellow officer, Corporal David Gogian, Atherly approached the vehicle which was occupied by three individuals.
The officers instructed the occupants to exit the vehicle. As they were complying, one of the individuals suddenly opened fire, striking both Officer Atherly and Corporal Gogian. The gunfire proved to be fatal for both officers. A third officer who was present at the scene was not injured. The shooter immediately fled the scene in the vehicle, sparking an intense manhunt.
The suspect was located the following morning, barricaded inside a home on Third Street. A lengthy standoff with law enforcement ensued. The confrontation ultimately ended when the suspect emerged from the house armed with a firearm and was shot and killed by police. It was later revealed that the suspect had a criminal record and had only recently completed his probation. No arrests were made in direct connection with the murders of the two officers as the sole perpetrator was killed during the standoff.
