Crime

Motorist who fled DUI checkpoint gets federal prison for illegal gun

A DUI checkpoint
A DUI checkpoint The Star

A convicted felon who tried to flee from a 2016 DUI checkpoint in Independence was sentenced to prison Friday for illegally possessing a firearm.

Derrick J. White, 30, was sentenced to eight years and 10 months in federal prison.

Police were operating a DUI checkpoint Aug. 13, 2016, at U.S. 24 and Vassar Road in Independence. White fled from the checkpoint, and pursuing police used stop sticks to deflate his vehicle’s tires.

In a subsequent search of his car, officers found a 9mm handgun under the driver’s seat. Because he has prior felony convictions, it is illegal for White to possess a firearm.

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