‘He wanted to kill me.’ Retired officer shares survival story of alleged attack

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A retired Kansas City police officer is sharing his story after he was allegedly brutally attacked.

The attack happened June 30 at the Cosentino’s downtown.

The suspect, 39-year-old Jorge Arroyo, is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action against Sgt. Jeff Duer.

Duer retired from KD in June 2021 but works as a security guard. He told KCTV5 he is thankful to be alive and thought he was going to die that day in Cosentino’s.

“He wanted to kill me,” Duer said. “He would’ve murdered me.”

Duer said it was about 8:15 that Sunday morning when he saw the suspect, Arroyo, in Cosentino’s. He’s no stranger. Duer said he knew him because he was banned from the store previously for stealing.

“He is the type of person that is a threat to others,” Duer said. “So, when I went up to deal with him and get him to leave, he picked up the chair he was sitting on and chased me around the eating area and started beating me with the chair four or five times.”

Duer said the chair was metal and weighed 20 pounds. The former KD officer said he then fell to the ground and tried to get away from the attacker, but couldn’t.

“He’s on top of me; I can’t pull my gun because I’m bleeding,” Duer said. “I’ve got blood pouring out of my head as I’m looking at the floor, and all I see is blood. I was like ‘OK, I’m done.’”

The 60-year-old retired cop said he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for two shoppers that jumped in to save him.

“The cops, the firefighters, the dispatchers, the people at North Kansas City hospital, and the two citizens that saved my life; I’m very grateful, I’m very blessed,” Duer said.

Duer received 200 stitches to his head, underwent extensive surgery, and had to get a cast after suffering a broken arm in the attack.

“I’m missing part of my scalp; it’s on the chair that he beat me with,” Duer said. “A lot of headaches, a lot of PTSD stuff, I’m afraid, that’s my biggest concern right now.”

This is an ongoing investigation. Arroyo is scheduled to be back in court for an arraignment hearing on July 22.

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