Missouri Highway Patrol identifies 39-year-old man fatally shot by Independence police
A man shot and killed by Independence police Friday night following a disturbance has been identified, the Missouri State Highway Patrol announced Saturday afternoon.
Tyrea M. Pryor, 39, was fatally shot Friday night by Independence police officers when they saw him display an AR-style rifle following a police pursuit and crash, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said over social media.
Independence police responded to calls of a disturbance just before 8 p.m. on Friday, said Sgt. Bill Lowe, a patrol spokesman.
A woman said three people were banging on her door, according to Officer Jack Taylor, a spokesman for the Independence Police Department.
The woman did not know who they were and said the three people had arrived in a white vehicle.
Officers responding to the 800 block of East College Street saw a white sedan speeding away from the residence and began to pursue.
The police chase ended shortly after, Lowe said. But the suspect vehicle continued to flee and struck another vehicle near the intersection of U.S. 24 Highway and Noland Road, Lowe said.
“Officers approached the suspect. He had a rifle in the vehicle. And at that point in time, the officers shot the suspect,” Lowe said.
Two female passengers from the vehicle were interviewed by investigators and taken to an area hospital with injuries caused by the crash, Lowe said. The driver of the other vehicle was uninjured.
The officers that shot the suspect have been placed on administrative leave as a part of the department’s policy, Taylor said in an email to The Star.
The investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol is ongoing.
This story was originally published March 12, 2022 at 5:37 PM.
