Wichita police arrest man accused of firing into SUV, killing driver
Wichita police arrested a suspect Saturday evening in a fatal shooting and SUV crash Friday afternoon. The suspect is currently on probation.
Damion Hazelton, 24, faces charges of felony murder and discharge of a firearm into an occupied vehicle, according to a Wichita police media advisory. He was booked into jail at 10:22 p.m.
The shooting victim was 49-year-old Chris Baker, police said. Baker was found inside a red GMC Yukon that hit a parked car and crashed into an apartment bedroom.
Baker had suffered a gunshot wound.
“Life-saving measures were attempted, but the victim would be pronounced deceased on the scene,” Wichita police spokesperson Kristopher Gupilan said in a media release.
The incident happened around 2:18 p.m. Friday near East Lincoln Street and San Pablo Lane.
Sedgwick County’s jail records show Hazelton is charged with first-degree murder, criminal discharge of firearm and violation of probation.
Hazleton was arrested at 616 S. Hunter St., about half a mile from where the shooting and crash occurred.
Wichita police said they would be “relentless” Friday in the search for the perpetrator of the fatal crime.
“Investigators worked diligently on this case through the evening hours and were able to determine that Damion was the shooter,” Gupilan said in a media release. “Efforts were put into place and officers and investigators did not rest until Damion was apprehended for this violent crime. Damion was located and arrested without incident. This investigation is still ongoing.”
Hazelton was on probation after being convicted in 2021 for giving a false alarm and falsely reporting that a crime has been committed or information concerning felony crime with the intent that an officer will rely on the information, records show.
