Man accused of firing gun at Kansas City cops near Penn Valley Park: court records
A 23-year-old man faces serious felony charges after he was accused of firing a handgun at Kansas City police officers while they were investigating reports of gunfire Tuesday at Penn Valley Park.
Shawn A. Lee, of Kansas City, is charged in Jackson County Circuit Court with first-degree assault on a special victim, armed criminal action and unlawful weapon use. He is currently held in the Jackson County jail on a $60,000 cash-only bond.
According to court records, police officers were summoned around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday to the area of 31st Street and Southwest Trafficway on a report of gunfire in the area. Bystanders flagged the officers down and directed them to a parking lot near Penn Valley Park, where they saw three SUVs in the parking lot honking with their lights on.
Emergency lights were activated to break up the gathering, a KCPD detective wrote in the charging document. Then as one of the SUVs rolled past, more gunfire was heard and an officer reported seeing a muzzle flash and a person firing shots in their direction.
No one was injured and the patrol vehicle did not appear to have been damaged by gunfire. Another officer chased the SUV to the area of 18th and Summit streets where Lee was arrested.
During an interview with detectives, Lee said he was visiting Penn Valley Park and speaking to other people there. He told them he gave them his gun to shoot and they fired it six times. As police were responding, Lee allegedly said he fired gunshots into the air from the driver’s side window.
Under Missouri law, assaults directed against police officers carry stiffer penalties. If convicted of assault, Lee faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in a state prison.
This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 7:33 AM.
