The alleged crime(s) happened earlier last month, but police only found out last Friday after someone filed a report with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office.
Mulvane Public Safety Director Dave Williams said that the allegations are as follows: On March 7, a group of high school students bought a baby chicken from an Atwoods store in Derby.
Later that day or on March 8, the chick was thrown onto the Mulvane High School parking lot where it was run over by a car several times.
Williams said that a witness, a school employee, arrived at the building during that weekend and noticed some people in the parking lot. When the employee got inside and looked out the window, that person witnessed them flicking something like a lighter, but never saw a chicken or a fire.
That person then saw a truck drive back and forth over the same spot. After they left, the employee went outside to that spot and found a dead chicken in the parking lot, that had obviously been run over.
Williams said the employee may have recognized a couple of students involved and told administrators, but that police were never notified. He added that the school district's cooperation in the investigation has been "less than satisfactory."
"I don't know what the issue is, whether they're intimidated by what's going on or they don't want to be a focal point of this investigation," Williams said. "Their parents work for the school district, and so I think that may be some of the reason that some of these other people don't want to get involved, so you can kind of draw your own conclusions."
Officers have been conducting interviews of students, teachers, coaches and other staff since learning about the alleged crime and Williams said three Mulvane High School students, including two juveniles and an 18-year-old, could face charges of animal cruelty.
While releasing few details, Mulvane USD 263 Director of Human Resources Tom Keil said the district is cooperating.
"We were made aware of an incident involving students at Mulvane High School. At this time the district is cooperating with local law enforcement who is conducting an investigation," Kiel said in a written statement. "As a District, we cannot comment specifically on individual student matters or ongoing law enforcement investigations."
Police are also looking into a possible second incident a week later involving the same group of students at El Dorado Lake in Butler County.
Williams said that one student who may be involved discussed it in a classroom, saying they took turns throwing chickens into a bonfire they built while at the lake. Police believe there is a video from that incident and are working to get it.
Police are still looking for other video and/or pictures from people who may have witnessed either incident, and anyone with information is asked to call them at 777-1111. They plan to present their case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office at some point next week.
(KAKE - April 1, 2015)
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