15 years in prison for man who brought gun to federal building, fought with guards

A man who brawled with and threatened security officers outside a federal office building in downtown Kansas City was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in prison.

James E. Everett Jr., was sentenced in U.S. District Court, where in January he had gone to trial and was found guilty of threatening a federal law enforcement officer, forcibly resisting a federal law enforcement officer and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The charges stemmed from an incident in 2016 when Everett, 32, approached the Richard Bolling Federal Building at 601 E. 12th Street, yelling and demanding to see a federal judge.

Four officers from the Federal Protective Service confronted Everett, who threatened to “blow (their) brains out.” He began fighting when they tried to arrest him.

Everett tried to bite one officer’s finger and spit at another officer. Several Kansas City police officers who saw the incident helped the federal officers get Everett into custody.

After he was arrested, officers found a loaded 9mm handgun in the car Everett had driven.

Everett has prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery and arson and it is illegal for him to possess a firearm.