Peabody woman reportedly hurt by attacker, officer responds to call from home in Newton
Staff writer
A Peabody resident says it took nearly 35 minutes for police to respond to a 911 call of someone banging on her doors and windows at 4:59 a.m. Sunday.
Kayla Good was later choked and hit across the face.
Peabody police chief Bruce Burke said a newly-hired officer who was on call responded from his home in Newton. Although Burke declined to say when the officer was hired, mayor Tom Spencer said it was in November or December of 2018.
Burke said having an officer on call while living in Newton is allowed by city personnel policies and guidelines.
But according to former city police officer and sheriff’s deputy David Harper-Head, that’s not so.
“I know Josh Wilson was given special privilege to respond from Newton,” Harper-Head said. “I was given a copy of the policy when I worked there. If they changed the policy, they didn’t let anyone know about it.”
Burke said the officer is preparing to move to Peabody.
“This officer has already purchased a home in Peabody, and currently in the process of making it ready for his occupancy,” Burke said.
Spencer said city policy allows police officers to be within 30 minutes’ drive while on duty.
“Newton is generally about 25 minutes,” Spencer said.
Spencer said he does not know what time the officer arrived at the scene.
Good could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening, but she did tell KAKE news in Wichita that the man was gone when police arrived.
“When they left to check the area, the man returned again. That’s when he choked and hit her across the face,” KAKE’s article states.
Good told KAKE she was able to get away from the man and go back into her home.
“The city of Peabody is concerned about the public safety of all of our citizens, and we do the best we can to see that happens,” Spencer said.
Burke said the police department is investigating the incident in the 700 block of N. Chestnut St. and hopes to get information from the community.
“A general description of the suspect is as follows: white male, height 5’11”, 170 pounds, wearing dark hoodie and dark colored baseball cap,” Burke wrote.