Achutha N Reddy, 57, sustained multiple stab injuries.
An Indian American psychiatrist was stabbed to death in Kansas by a 21-year old patient. The suspect has been arrested and slapped with first-degree murder charges.
According to the police, Umar Rashid Dutt is the primary suspect in the murder of Achutha N Reddy, a psychiatrist who came to the United States from the Indian state of Telangana.
Police said Reddy, 57, had sustained multiple stab injuries when he was attacked near his Holistic Psychiatric Services building on Carriage Parkway in Wichita at 7.22 pm local time on Wednesday.
When police arrived on the scene, they found Reddy in an alley behind the building and was later declared dead.
The Wichita Police Department posted a condolence note on the official Facebook page describing the incidents. It read:
“On September 13th, 2017 at approximately 7:20 pm officers responded to a call that would end up having a great impact on the mental health community in Wichita, KS. Dr. Reddy would be located with stab wounds, and would later succumb to those injuries. It was with heavy hearts the Wichita Police Department offers its condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Reddy. His tragic loss will be felt by many,” read the Facebook post.
“In today’s world, mental health resources are stretched thin. Many looked toward Dr. Reddy for help in their times of crisis. As many providers in the mental health profession, he offered hope to many suffering from mental illness,” the post continues.
“As officers receive more training in dealing with people in crisis, we understand the great service psychiatrist and other providers offer to those in need. This loss will be felt by many throughout the community. On behalf of the Wichita Police Department Mental Health Liaison our thoughts and prayers are with Dr. Reddy, his family, friends, and to all those affected by his loss.”
Lt Todd Ojile of the Wichita police department, in a statement, said poice were informed about a man sitting in his car with blood stains after which, troopers were dispatched to check for the suspicious man.
The police confirmed that Dutt, the suspect, is a patient of Reddy and both were seen going into the hospital building together. According to the office manager who was in charge at the time of the incident, she heard violent sound from the doctor’s cabin and found Dutt attacking Reddy.
Even though Reddy tried to leave the office premises to escape from his attacker, Dutt followed him to the exit and fatally stabbed him multiple times as they reached the alley.
Dr. Reddy graduated from the Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, in 1986. A resident of Kansas with over 20 years of experience, he was affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Via Christi Hospital on St. Francis and Wesley Medical Center.
He was one among the 21 doctors at Via Christi Hospital on St. Francis and one of four at Wesley Medical Center who specialized in Psychiatry.
A Google review by one of Reddy’s patients, named John Witterick, said: “By far the best doctor that I have seen. Everyone was professional and nice. He listened to me and talked with me more than any other psychiatrist that I have seen. I recommend him to anyone.”
The suspect Dutt studied at Wichita State University. He is a resident of Salina, Kansas.
“I don’t think that he thought college was the right path for him,” Ryan Schrader, Dutt’s high school tutor, told KWCH.com.
“There were often a lot of arguments between him and his parents like his mom would walk by and see that maybe he wasn’t paying attention so she would be like Omar you need to focus, you need to really care about your education,” Schrader added.
“Sometimes he would be talking about like smoking a lot with his friends or like partying a lot or drinking a lot and that sometimes would be what the conversation would go to. Nothing really occurred to me that he might need help from a psychiatrist or a psychologist. I was just kind of thinking, well, he’s just a rebellious teenager,” Schrader told the paper.