CRIME

Judge dismisses suit of man shot by police

Tim Hrenchir
threnchir@cjonline.com
A Shawnee County District Court judge last month dismissed a lawsuit pursued against Topeka's city government by Christopher C. Harris after he was shot and wounded in a November 2016 gunbattle with former Topeka police Detective Brian Hill, who is now Shawnee County's sheriff. [Kansas Department of Corrections]

Shawnee County District Judge Teresa L. Watson last month threw out a lawsuit pursued against Topeka's city government by a robber wounded in a November 2016 gunbattle with former police Detective Brian Hill, who became Shawnee County's sheriff on Tuesday.

Watson dismissed the suit by Christopher C. Harris on March 20 for lack of prosecution, according to court records.

She had indicated in an order filed Dec. 7 that the case had seen no significant activity for months and she would dismiss it unless Harris took additional steps to pursue the case or provided an acceptable explanation for the lack of activity.

Hill, now 53, shot Harris, now 31, in the abdomen and right calf in November 2016 in northeast Topeka's Oakland community, authorities said.

Harris also shot Hill, who suffered four bullet wounds but recovered. Hill retired from the Topeka Police Department in 2017 and was sworn in Tuesday as Shawnee County sheriff. He was chosen by the Shawnee County Republican Party precinct committee to replace Sheriff Herman Jones, who was recently appointed superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Harris acted as his own attorney in January 2018 in filing a lawsuit seeking $2 million from the police department, Hill and Topeka police officer Kyle Jeanneret. Watson later dismissed the police department as a defendant but let Harris proceed with it — at least until last month — against Hill, Jeanneret and Topeka's city government.

Police said Harris and another man had robbed a convenience store at gunpoint, driven off in a car, abandoned the car and fled on foot, with the other man being arrested soon afterward.

Hill had been off duty but was called in to help investigate the robbery. He located Harris, then they shot each other, police said.

Harris was subsequently sentenced to more than 77 years in prison after a Shawnee County District Court jury convicted him of four felonies linked to the case, including attempted capital murder of a law enforcement officer.

Harris is now an inmate at Hutchinson Correctional Facility, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records.