Suspected dynamite found in pickup after man fled arrest, Cass County Sheriff says
A Henry County, Missouri man is facing two felony charges after he allegedly fled from police pursuit and officers discovered explosive materials consistent with dynamite in his pickup truck, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.
Vance G. Gayle, 57, of Blairstown, was arrested Thursday night after a chase that started around Missouri Highway 7 and South Walker Road near Harrisonville, the sheriff’s office said. He is charged with creating a substantial public safety risk by fleeing arrest and possession of explosive materials.
A Cass County deputy tried to stop Gayle, who was driving a 1988 Chevy S-10 pickup, for a traffic violation around 7:30 p.m., Major Kevin Tieman, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said in the statement. But Gayle allegedly fled arrest, taking police on a 20-minute chase down gravel roads in the Garden City and Dayton areas before he crashed his truck.
Suspected dynamite, illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia were discovered after searching the truck, authorities allege.
The Lee’s Summit Police Department’s team of explosives specialists was called in for assistance. The explosive materials were detonated at the scene because they were too dangerous to transport, the sheriff’s office said.
In the statement, Cass County Sheriff Jeff Weber praised the work of police.
“Thanks to the good work of law enforcement no one was injured and this person is in jail,” Weber said.
Gayle is being held in Cass County Jail.
This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 4:35 PM.
