KC area man pointed gun at trash truck driver, then fled police, court documents say
A man is charged with three felonies in connection with a police chase that began in Independence and ended in Kansas City Wednesday, court records show.
Gerald Jayquan Blackmon is charged in Jackson County Circuit Court with endangering the welfare of a child, aggravated fleeing a stop or detention and unlawful use of a weapon.
Officers with the Independence Police Department began pursuing a blue Jeep Cherokee just after 1 p.m. A trash truck driver told officers a man in a blue Jeep with wood strapped to its roof pointed a handgun at him in traffic.
Police attempted a traffic stop on the Jeep, and Blackmon allegedly fled the stop. Blackmon allegedly drove up to 72 miles per hour in 35 mph zones, swerved into oncoming traffic and drove the wrong way on a one-way street throughout the pursuit, according to court documents.
The chase began near U.S. 24 Highway and River Boulevard in Independence and crossed into Kansas City near Truman Road and Hardesty Avenue, where officers with the Kansas City Police Department took up pursuit.
Kansas City officers followed the Jeep west to Raytown Road and Blue Ridge Cutoff. The Jeep swerved over the median and hit a silver Toyota Camry traveling east, according to Sgt. Phil DiMartino, a KCPD spokesman.
The driver of the Camry had minor injuries but declined medical treatment, DiMartino said. Blackmon and two passengers with him — a woman and a 5-year-old child — were not injured, according to court documents.
Officers find a gun inside Jeep
In a search of the Jeep, officers found a loaded Hi-Point 9mm handgun with an extended magazine under the driver’s seat. According to court records, one spent shell casing was also recovered.
In an interview with police, the trash truck driver said Blackmon was driving erratically and cut him off twice. The driver alleged Blackmon pointed the gun at him twice and feared he was going to follow him and a coworker back to their place of employment.
After he was in custody, Blackmon allegedly admitted to pointing the gun at the trash truck driver after feeling threatened by him. In an interview with police, Blackmon allegedly said he cut the trash truck driver off as he was approaching a construction zone that went down to one lane.
According to court documents, Blackmon told police he fled because the gun wasn’t registered and might have been stolen. He allegedly told a detective that he bought the gun from a friend a few months ago and didn’t know where it came from.
The woman passenger who was with Blackmon in the Jeep confirmed to police that Blackmon flashed the gun during the road rage incident, court records show. She told police she pleaded with Blackman to stop during the police chase, and confirmed the weapon had been in his possession since February, according to court records.
Online court records show Blackmon has prior citations for assault, obstruction and illegally carrying a weapon, all in Minnesota in 2018. He has not been convicted of a felony.
As of Friday morning, no court events have been scheduled in Blackmon’s case.
