Olathe police officer justified in fatal shooting of man breaking into home: Prosecutor

An Olathe police officer who fatally shot a man as he was allegedly breaking into a neighbor’s home with a loaded handgun last October was justified in using deadly force and will not face criminal charges, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe announced Friday.

Further, Howe credited the officer with saving the lives of seven people who were inside the home.

Officials identified the man who was shot as Dane Laing, a resident of the street where the shooting took place, and said the incident followed a series of confrontations between Laing and his neighbors.

Howe said he found the officer acted appropriately in the defense of the people who were inside the home Laing was allegedly breaking into.

“In fact, my finding is that this officer actually probably saved lives that day through his quick reaction to save the individuals in that house from imminent harm as (Laing) was kicking in the door with a loaded handgun,” he said at a Friday afternoon news conference. “One of the other pieces of evidence recovered was Mr. Laing had two additional clips with him, so he had enough firepower to inflict a lot of damage on that family. We should credit that officer for saving the lives of those individuals inside the home.”

The Oct. 10, 2023, shooting followed a dispute between neighbors in the 23000 block of 126th Terrace, according to a report on the shooting released by prosecutors. Laing’s neighbor reported Laing had threatened his brother by making a “gun gesture” with his hand and also reported “several” previous confrontations, including one in which Laing allegedly attempted to hit him.

Officers responded and had an extended conversation with Laing about the allegations, and he told them his neighbors had parked on his freshly seeded grass, which led to a confrontation. Officers determined Laing would receive a municipal court citation for a misdemeanor assault for allegedly throwing a punch at the neighbor and told him he would receive a notice to appear, Howe said.

While one of the responding officers was filling out paperwork, another officer, who fired the fatal shots, saw Laing running through the front yard toward his neighbor’s home. Body camera video of the incident played at the news conference shows Laing bolting through the yard and carrying a handgun.

The officer opened fire on Laing as the man kicked open the door to his neighbor’s home, according to both the report and the bodycam video. Laing entered the home and fired a shot from a handgun, and the officer fired again and saw Laing fall to the ground, according to the report. A .45-caliber Taurus handgun that had Laing’s DNA on it was found near his body.

The seven people who were inside the home, ranging from a 10-year-old up to “senior citizens,” were not injured, Howe said.

Olathe Police Chief Mike Butaud said officers were at the scene prior to the shooting for nearly 40 minutes before Laing ran for the neighboring home.

“This was a routine call for service until Mr. Laing made the decision to force one outcome,” Butaud said, saying that the officer had acted “heroically” in the defense of the neighbors.

Laing’s wife spoke with investigators and told them about the parking on their grass and said she believed Laing was calming down after officers had arrived, according to the report. Just before the shooting, she said, he kissed her and told her “I love you.” She then watched as he approached the neighbor’s house and heard the shots ring out.