Police officer facing wrongful death lawsuit was given ‘valor’ awards for fatal shooting

A former Kansas police officer, Conner Thompson, received two valor awards for his actions during the 2022 shooting of Brandon Lynch, a man with a history of mental health crises, despite prosecutors not charging him for the incident. Lynch’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming Thompson escalated the situation and used excessive force without proper crisis intervention training. While Thompson was honored for his response during the encounter, the narratives provided by law enforcement groups did not mention Lynch’s mental health crisis or prior interactions with officers.