Deputy shot man in Independence after chasing SUV linked to shootings

A Jackson County sheriff’s deputy shot a man early Tuesday who was inside a Chevrolet SUV that allegedly had been involved in multiple shootings in Independence the day before, according to the sheriff’s office.

The shooting Tuesday happened about 7:20 a.m. in the front yard of a house at 39th Street and Woodland Avenue, and came after sheriff’s deputies pursued the SUV into the city of Independence.

Independence police said they were not involved in the incident, but have taken the lead in the investigation of the deputy’s shooting of the suspect.

Sheriff’s deputies had started following the suspect SUV in an unincorporated portion of the county about 7 a.m. About 15 minutes later, the chase led into Independence, according to Officer John Syme, an Independence police spokesman.

During the pursuit, Independence police identified the SUV as a suspect vehicle in three shootings in the city on Monday, Syme said. All three shootings involved a blue or dark blue SUV, which matched the general description of the vehicle pursued by the deputies.

“Whether this vehicle is in fact that same vehicle involved in all three shootings is still a matter of investigation for our detective unit. When additional case details become available, they will be released,” he said.

The pursuit ended in the front yard of a house, where the SUV stalled as it attempted to drive through the yard.

A sheriff’s deputy shot the suspect while trying to arrest him, according to the sheriff’s office.

The deputy administered first aid before the suspect was taken to a hospital with an injury that was not thought to be life-threatening.

Two other people were inside the vehicle.

Deputies found a handgun inside the SUV, according to the sheriff’s office.

Mike Coppoc, who lives in the house where the chase ended, said he heard three gunshots in quick succession.

“What I heard was the gunshots this morning — they woke me up,” Coppoc said. “I came out and found 32 cop cars in my front yard. It was a little crazy.”

“It looked like they had just dragged a young lady out of the passenger seat,” Coppoc said. “They were cuffing her. There were several guys holding her down.”

Pointing to a florescent orange paint mark on a tree in his yard, Coppoc said officers told him a bullet had struck there.

A sheriff’s deputy had a cut on his hand caused by shattered glass.

Jackson County Sheriff Darryl Forté said he asked Independence police to handle the investigation as an outside agency.

“A full and impartial investigation regarding this incident is necessary,” Forté said in a written statement.

Syme, the Independence police spokesman, said the Police Department was prepared to handle the investigation because it is the larger agency of the two and has a larger criminal investigation division.

This story was originally published October 30, 2018 at 4:55 PM.