HAYS, Kan. (KWCH) – As law enforcement professionals from across Kansas ascend on Topeka this week for an annual gathering dedicated to the memories of fallen officers, the trip is hitting different this year for the Hays Police Department, the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office, and two Kansas City-area departments.
In the most recent case involving on-duty deaths last year, former Hays PD Sgt. Scott Heimann died in September, fatally shot while responding to a domestic violence call. He was the second law enforcement officer in western Kansas killed in the line of duty in 2025 and the fourth in Kansas.
In June, Phillips County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Gaede died after being shot in Phillipsburg…