Suspect in Wichita cannon theft said his life was in danger: affidavit
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A newly released court document sheds light on why a rare Spanish-American War cannon was stolen from a Wichita park and cut into pieces last month.
Law enforcement officers who interviewed the alleged suspect, Gordon Pierce, 38, said he was afraid his drug dealer was going to kill him if he did not find a way to pay back $20,000.
Pierce allegedly told the officers he had been a meth user for 20 years and went to his drug dealer who gave him a pound of meth. Pierce was not comfortable with that amount because he would not be able to sell it.
He told the WPD that someone attacked him and stole the meth, but the dealer did not believe him and wanted $20,000 or 'he would shoot him and his family.'
Woman sucker punched in downtown Wichita
Pierce allegedly told the officers that it made him start looking for copper statues to steal to make money.
While driving around, he noticed the cannon in Central Riverside Park. According to the court document, around 4 a.m. on April 2, Pierce got a homeless person to help put a chain around the top of the cannon, then used a Tahoe to pull it off its concrete pedestal.
Pierce allegedly told officers that he and the homeless man tried to lift the cannon into the Tahoe, but it was too heavy, so he dragged it behind the vehicle. The chain snapped multiple times.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Pierce went to a friend's house to get more chains and then dragged the cannon to the friend's house. The friend 'was freaking out about this, believing he was going to get in trouble,' Pierce told officers.
The document says that Pierce borrowed the friend's tools, spent several hours cutting the cannon into four or five pieces, and took a couple of pieces to the drug dealer, 'to show that he was trying to pay for what he lost.'
Cannon chopped into pieces, believed to have ties to President Roosevelt
The dealer called Pierce 'stupid, telling him he is going to bring heat to his house.' According to the court document, the dealer told Pierce he was going to shoot him the next time he saw him. Pierce said it made him feel hopeless.
He allegedly said he chose the cannon because it was in a dark area. The detective who wrote the affidavit said Pierce did not have a specific plan to sell the cannon pieces since he did not have an ID, which is typically required when someone wants to scrap metal.
After his alleged meeting with the drug dealer, Pierce went to his mother's house and fell asleep. He woke when the police arrived.
Police had followed gouges in the road to the friend's house, and the friend told police where they could find Pierce.
Police arrested Pierce. He remains in the Sedgwick County Jail on charges of theft of property, aggravated criminal damage to property, and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bail is set at $200,000.
A city spokesperson said the 1794 cannon had been chopped into pieces. Historians have said the cannon is irreplaceable.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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