One person fatally shot by police after pursuit and crash in Independence
A man was fatally shot Friday night by Independence police officers when they saw him display an AR-style rifle following a police pursuit and crash, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, which is investigating the shooting.
Sgt. Bill Lowe, a patrol spokesman, said Independence police responded to a disturbance just before 8 p.m. on Friday. Officers responding to the 800 block of East College Street saw a white sedan speeding away from the residence and began to pursue.
The police pursuit ended shortly after, Lowe said. But the suspect vehicle continued to flee and struck another vehicle near the intersection of U.S. 24 Highway and Noland Road, Lowe said.
“Officers approached the suspect. He had a rifle in the vehicle. And at that point in time, the officers shot the suspect,” Lowe said.
The suspect has yet to be identified pending a notification of his next of kin. Two female passengers from the vehicle were taken to an area hospital with injuries caused by the crash, Lowe said. The driver of the other vehicle was uninjured.
Police maintained a large presence at the scene for hours, redirecting traffic along from both directions on U.S. 24. Crime scene tape blocked off the area where the vehicles crashed and the shooting unfolded. Both were off the roadway at the northeast corner of the intersection.
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 11:18 PM.
