In the News

Son of Fruits charged with disorderly conduct

By Dave Seaton
THE WINFIELD DAILY COURIER
Tuesday, March 28, 2006

The son of Danny Fruits, who died after being shot by a police officer at Tunnel Mill Dam, faces a charge of disorderly conduct in Cowley County District Court.

Daniel Stearns of Sweetwater, Texas, is charged with “noisy conduct” that would “arouse alarm, anger or resentment” in others, according to a complaint filed by Deputy County Attorney Jim Spring.

The incident alleged in the complaint took place Thursday, March 23, at an unidentified location.

Stearns was released on a $500 bond.

A condition of his release is that he have “no contact with any police officer, law enforcement officer or their family or residence of any kind.

Stearns' attorney, Christopher McHugh, of Wichita, could not be reached for comment.

The exact location of the incident was not shown in the complaint, but witnesses listed included Donna Venable and her husband, Greg, a Winfield police officer.

The Venables live in the 800 block of E. 13th.

Winfield Police Chief Jerry DeVore said Tuesday Greg Venable “had nothing to do” with the shooting of Danny Fruits. Cowley County Attorney Christopher Smith confirmed this.

Neither DeVore nor Smith would name the officer who shot Fruits.

Smith said he was still waiting for the report on the shooting from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Other witnesses listed on the complaint included Tom Campbell, a Cowley County deputy sheriff, and Winfield police officers Mark Clifford and Gary Bortz.

Fruits was shot March 8 and died later at a local hospital.