KC police, Missouri Highway Patrol trooper fatally shoot homicide suspect after chase
Kansas City police and a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper fatally shot a homicide suspect who led them on a high-speed chase that ended south of Platte City, the Platte County sheriff said.
The pursuit began around 9:15 p.m. Tuesday after police spotted a 26-year-old suspect being sought in connection with a Kansas City, Kansas, homicide in the Country Club Plaza area, Platte County Sheriff Mark Owen said.
The suspect fled, leading police on a high-speed chase, which reached speeds in excess of 100 mph, across state lines into Kansas City, Kansas. The chase crossed back into Missouri in Platte County.
During the chase, the man drove north in the southbound lanes of Interstate 435 from Shawnee into Platte County, according audio of the chase captured by Broadcastify.
As the chase, which by that time includes Missouri State Highway Patrol, approached 120th Street near Platte City, officers deployed tire deflating devices, which flattened some tires. The suspect crashed into a guardrail, Owen said.
The driver bailed out of the vehicle and ran, allegedly carrying a firearm into a wooded area near Northwest 132nd Street and Running Horse Road, south of Platte City, Owen said.
Police and the highway patrol surrounded the area. A police helicopter hovered over the area tracking the man.
Multiple agencies were involved in the shooting, Owen said. His agency is taking the lead on the investigation.
Both Kansas City police and the Missouri Highway Patrol confirmed that members of their agencies were involved in the shooting.
Platte County deputies did not fire any shots, Owen said. No law enforcement officers were injured. He declined to say whether the suspect fired any shots.
The suspect had a warrant for his arrest out of Kansas City, Kansas, Owen said. He declined to say which homicide he was connected to, but it was a homicide from the past week.
At one point, an estimated 80 law enforcement officers were involved in the chase and standoff, Owen said.
During the standoff, officers evacuated some homes, but as of 7 a.m Wednesday, everyone had been allowed to return.
Investigators will be looking at officer body camera footage of the shooting, which they were in the process of recovering, Owen said. There may also be video from the armored vehicles and the police helicopter.
Owen spoke with the suspect’s family, who showed up at the scene of the standoff and were later taken to the sheriff’s office, according to audio captured by Broadcastify.
“I hate seeing loss of life, suspect or not, it’s just an unfortunate situation,” Owen said.
The New Bedford Falls subdivision was still a flurry of police activity just after 7 a.m. Wednesday.
Investigation into shooting continues
Police tape stretched across several houses that butted up against a wooded area. An armored police vehicle was still parked in one neighbor’s backyard. Children stood on the adjacent street waiting for the school bus.
Scott, a resident of the neighborhood for about a decade who declined to give his last name, woke up to the helicopters shaking his house.
He said they’re in the airport launching zone, but the steady rumble of helicopters was unusual.
“It looked like a war zone out here,” he said of the flashing lights and dozens of police cars outside.
He didn’t learn what happened until about 5 a.m., when he turned on the TV news and saw his house in the background.
His stepdaughter was stuck outside the barricades — when she started falling asleep in her car around 1:30 a.m., she turned around to stay at her grandmother’s house instead.
He said at about 6 a.m. there were still cars blocking his driveway.
“It was a long night,” said Scott. “It was crazy.”
Scott called the neighborhood, mostly filled with retirees and families with children, peaceful and lovely. Usually when they hear sirens it’s from a grass fire.
“It’s kind of a shock to wake up to find out that’s where this guy headed into,” he said.
Tyler Crawford, who lives across the street from the wooded area, said he heard from other neighbors on Facebook at about 10:30 p.m. that a commotion was happening.
“He ran through all these neighbors’ yards, the suspect, and that had him cornered,” he said.
Crawford could see from his bedroom closet window that police had someone surrounded. The SWAT team followed. He said there seemed to be about 45 minutes between when the man first took off running and when it ended. He heard four of five gunshots in quick succession.
This story was originally published May 4, 2022 at 6:56 AM.
