ShawneeDispatch.com

The 18-year-old accused of shooting a Shawnee police officer in his bullet-proof vest is scheduled for a court date next month to determine his trial date.

Alexander Ayers has been charged with attempted first-degree murder in the February shooting, and in a preliminary hearing April 30, Ayers received a second felony charge for possession of a handgun. A docket call hearing has been set for June 18, and Brian Burgess, spokesman for the Johnson County District Attorney's office, said Ayers' trial dates likely well be set at this hearing.

The additional charge stems from an incident on Ayers' juvenile record, in which a judge ordered he could not own or handle gun. Ayers has entered a not guilty plea on both charges.

Because the bullet hit a bullet-proof vest, the officer was not seriously wounded. Police say Ayers had been firing off shots Feb. 18 when officers arrived at his residence, and after the incident, Capt. Ron Copeland of the Shawnee Police Department said it is believed Ayers was inebriated and was angry after having a fight with his girlfriend.

Johnson County Court records show that Ayers has a history of minor offenses. In 2004, he was charged in juvenile court with the discharge of a gun in an occupied dwelling and possession with intent to sell, though both charges were dismissed.

In 2006, he was charged with disorderly conduct and battery, also in juvenile court. In December, he received traffic charges of one-way glass and an obstructed windshield on his vehicle.