KC man who bit a cop is sentenced to 21 years for meth, marijuana crimes

A Kansas City man who authorities say bit a police officer was sentenced Thursday to 21 years in federal prison without parole for drug crimes.

Christopher J. Kessler, 30, was convicted at trial for possessing about 50 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and possessing marijuana, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri.

He was arrested in 2016 after leading Independence and Kansas City police on a high-speed chase.

He was eventually tackled by an officer, and during a struggle he bit an officer's finger and wrist, breaking the skin, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Kessler has 41 convictions and a "lengthy history of resisting police while operating vehicles at high rates of speed," according to the release. He also led police on two pursuits in the summer of 2016. Police terminated one of the pursuits and caught Kessler in the other.

This story was originally published March 22, 2018 at 10:04 PM with the headline "KC man who bit a cop is sentenced to 21 years for meth, marijuana crimes."