**Lenexa Family Demands Justice After Police Fatally Shoot Sleeping Father Jose Enrique Cartagena Chacon**

LENEXA, KS — A Lenexa family is demanding answers after a tragic police shooting claimed the life of Jose Enrique Cartagena Chacon, a 33-year-old man they say was asleep in his vehicle when he was shot and killed by police officers early Sunday morning, June 22, 2025.

According to the initial reports from the Lenexa Police Department, officers were dispatched to a residential neighborhood near West 91st Street and Rosehill Road just after 4:00 a.m. following a 911 call about a suspicious vehicle parked near a cul-de-sac. Police say the vehicle had been idling for several hours with an unresponsive man inside, raising concerns from residents who feared a medical emergency or a potential threat.

When officers arrived at the scene, they reportedly attempted to make contact with the driver, later identified as Jose Enrique Cartagena Chacon. Police say Chacon was unresponsive to verbal commands and showed signs of movement only after officers surrounded the vehicle. At some point during the encounter, officers claimed Chacon made what they interpreted as a “threatening motion,” prompting them to open fire.

Chacon was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a press conference held on Monday, police officials declined to go into specific detail about what that “threatening motion” entailed, citing the ongoing investigation. They did confirm that no weapon was found on Chacon or inside the vehicle. Body camera footage from the responding officers has not yet been released, further fueling outrage and frustration from Chacon’s family and community advocates.

“This was an execution,” said Maria Cartagena, Jose’s younger sister, standing with tear-streaked cheeks and holding a photo of her brother during a vigil held Sunday night. “He was sleeping. He wasn’t hurting anybody. He had his whole life ahead of him, and now he’s gone because of a rush to judgment.”

Family members say Chacon had recently moved to Lenexa to be closer to his two young daughters and was working two jobs while taking night classes in hopes of earning his electrician certification. Known affectionately as “Quique” among loved ones, Chacon was described as a hardworking, kind-hearted, and soft-spoken man who often fell asleep in his car between shifts due to his demanding schedule.

“This is not the kind of man who would be violent or aggressive,” said Angelica Martinez, Chacon’s longtime partner and the mother of his children. “The idea that he would somehow be a threat while sleeping in his car is just not believable to anyone who knew him.”

Civil rights organizations, including the ACLU of Kansas and local chapters of Black Lives Matter and Latino advocacy groups, have called for a full independent investigation into the shooting. They are demanding the immediate release of the officers’ body camera footage, the 911 call, and all dashcam recordings from the scene.

“This tragic loss of life raises serious questions about the use of force, implicit bias, and police procedures in situations where no clear threat is present,” said Tomas Reyes, a civil rights attorney who is representing the Chacon family. “We must ask ourselves why a man who was reportedly asleep in his vehicle ended up dead. The public deserves transparency and accountability.”

As the investigation unfolds, Chacon’s family is preparing for a funeral they never imagined they would have to plan. A GoFundMe campaign set up to help with burial expenses has raised over $25,000 in less than 48 hours, a testament to the outpouring of community support.

The Lenexa Police Department has placed the involved officers on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, standard procedure in officer-involved shootings. The Johnson County District Attorney’s Office has also announced its intention to conduct a full review of the incident, but no timeline has been provided for when findings might be released.

In the meantime, Chacon’s family, friends, and supporters continue to grieve and demand justice for a man they say was unjustly taken from them far too soon.

“We are not going to stop,” said Maria Cartagena. “We will not let Jose’s death be just another statistic. He mattered. His life mattered. And we want the truth.”