WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A Wichita police officer was charged with allegedly helping a woman avoid arrest.
The charges stem from an incident in early May when the Wichita Police Department learned that officer Matthew Powell allegedly assisted a woman to avoid being located by police for her outstanding warrant.
In a news release, the department announced that officer Matthew Powell has been charged with one count of obstructing apprehension or prosecution, a class C misdemeanor and two counts of official misconduct, both class A misdemeanors, by the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
Powell has been employed as a police officer for seven years. He was placed on unpaid administrative leave today.
Officials requested the case be investigated by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office pursuant to a collaborative 2017 agreement to ensure transparency and avoid conflicts of interest.