Police identify last victim killed in crash with stolen Jeep during police chase

Kansas City police have released the name of the fourth person killed when a Jeep fleeing Independence police slammed into a Dodge Avenger last week.

Anthony A. Belton Jr., 24 of Kansas City was inside a Dodge Avenger as it tried to make a left-hand turn at 23rd Street and Television Place and was T-boned by a Jeep Patriot.

The collision happened just after 4 p.m. Friday when Independence police began to pursue a Jeep Patriot, which sped into Kansas City.

The chase began on 23rd Street near Cedar Avenue after police attempted to make a traffic stop because the driver of the Jeep Patriot, which police suspected was stolen, ran a stop sign.

In addition to Belton, three other people were killed. They were Kansas City residents Shawn Johnson Jr., 30, and AaRon Daniel, 29, who were inside the Dodge; and Amanda Perry, 27, of Independence, a front seat passenger in the Jeep.

Belton was a rear seat passenger in the Dodge, police said.

Following the crash, prosecutors charged Victoria Brown with three counts of second-degree murder in connection to the fatal wreck. Brown was also charged with resisting a lawful stop and could face more charges because Belton later died at the hospital from injuries suffered in the crash, according to prosecutors.

Kansas City police investigated the crash that ended in their town and began notifying next of kin, while Independence police were forced to respond to questions about the risks they took in chasing the driver of a Jeep that had been reported stolen.

Independence police officials on Monday said they conduct vehicle pursuits as safely as they can, and that they have decreased the number of pursuits in recent years.

"The Independence Police Department truly recognizes the dangers that exist during vehicle pursuits," said spokesman Officer John Syme in a written statement. "Any loss of life or serious injury sustained as a result of a fleeing suspect's reckless acts is tragic."

Several witnesses reached by The Star described the Jeep's flight and the actions of the Independence police officers in at least two cars that pursued it.

Court records showed that police said they had lost sight of the Jeep as it went around the curve toward Television Place. Independence police engage in fewer pursuits than they once did — the number dropped 17 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to police data.

This story was originally published June 5, 2018 at 12:25 PM with the headline "Police identify last victim killed in crash with stolen Jeep during police chase."