The community of Hays, Kansas, is grieving the loss of Police Sergeant Scott Heimann, 32, who was killed in the line of duty during a domestic violence incident that escalated late Saturday night.
Around midnight, officers responded to a call in the 2000 block of East 21st Street. A woman reported that she had fled a violent confrontation with her partner, 34-year-old Zane Wickham. According to her account, Wickham allegedly rammed her car with his truck as she attempted to get away. She then ran to a nearby home to seek help.
Gone too soon, never forgotten: Sgt. Scott Heimann. (City of Hays)
By the early hours of Sunday morning, officers and a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper set up a perimeter near the backyard of Wickham’s residence in the 2200 block of Downing Avenue. At around 1:55 a.m., a single gunshot rang out from inside the residence.
That bullet struck Sgt. Heimann. Despite immediate aid from fellow officers and first responders, he later died at a hospital in Hutchinson. Hours later, at about 6:15 a.m., tactical teams entered the house and found Wickham dead from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Today serves as a heartbreaking reminder that police officers willingly place themselves in harm’s way to protect the lives of others,” said Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler. “Sgt. Scott Heimann made the ultimate sacrifice in that duty, embodying what it truly means to serve with commitment and selflessness.
Honoring the Life of Sgt. Heimann
Plans have been made to pay tribute to the fallen officer. A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for Friday at 10:30 a.m. at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays. Visitation will take place the evening before, Thursday, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, with a vigil service beginning at 6:30 p.m.
As the city comes together to remember Sgt. Heimann, the people of Hays are navigating a deep sense of sorrow and appreciation—mourning the loss of a life taken too soon, while honoring the bravery of a man who gave his all in the service of others.
