Suspect falls 60 feet from tree during KC rescue attempt, as he attempts to evade capture

A man suspected of causing a disturbance at a Kansas City QuikTrip is hospitalized after falling from a tree, following a rescue attempt by first responders as he allegedly tried to avoid capture while 60 feet up the tree.

Around 3:30 a.m. Monday, Kansas City Police received a call to the 6500 block of East Front Street on a disturbance with an individual at the QuikTrip.

“The individual was acting erratically and causing a disturbance at the store,” said Phillip DiMartino, a spokesperson for the Kansas City Police Department.

When police arrived, the man could not be located. About an hour later, officials said they received another call from a nearby business about an individual being stuck in a tree.

That’s when the Kansas City Fire Department responded to 1401 Universal Avenue for what they called a “high-angle rescue.” On the scene, crews discovered a man at least 60 feet up a large tree in a wooded area off Front Street.

“It is unknown at this time if he got stuck or scared and could not get himself down,” said Michael Hopkins, a spokesperson for the Kansas City Fire Department, in a news release.

Police at the scene stated the man was possibly a person of interest in an attempted robbery at Quick Trip from earlier that night.

Firefighters attempted to rescue the man using a ladder truck, but due to height of the tree, they said that was not possible. The man allegedly began climbing higher as firefighters prepared to send rescuers up the tree, reaching a point where branches could no longer hold his weight, fire officials said.

Officials said that’s when the man fell from the tree, and was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

It was determined that the man was the same individual from both calls, police said, and officers determined that no robbery or attempted robbery had occurred.

This story was originally published July 15, 2024 at 1:41 PM.