Have you seen this man? Photos released of man suspected in Independence crime spree
Police released surveillance photos of a man they hope to identify who may be responsible for a crime spree that included shots being fired at a victim this week in Independence.
Independence police posted the photos on social media, including on their Facebook page, of the man considered a “person of interest” in the shooting as well as three burglaries on Wednesday.
Anyone who can identify the person is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477) or their local law enforcement agency.
Earlier Friday, Officer Jack Taylor, a spokesman for the department, said the man has yet to be located.
The crime spree led to a large scale search of woods in the area of U.S. 40 highway and Little Blue Parkway Wednesday afternoon as officers looked for a shirtless, sweaty and bloody man.
The series of crimes began Wednesday morning. At around 10:20 a.m., officers responded to a report of a woman who was allegedly shot at in the 15300 block of East 42nd Terrace. The victim, who was not physically harmed, told police a man fired a gun at her.
About 30 minutes later, a shirtless, sweaty and bleeding man walked into a business in the 4900 block of Arrowhead Drive and asked for water. He left while someone inside the business was calling police.
As police were responding to the business, they received a call about a vehicle that was stolen from near where the shots had been fired earlier. Officers who were looking for the man who had walked into the business found the vehicle nearby. They discovered blood inside.
Police had hoped to contain the man in some woods in the southeast area of U.S. 40 highway and Little Blue Parkway.
Police, however, had not been able to locate him, Officer Jack Taylor, a spokesman for the department, said Friday morning.
The Star’s Bill Lukitsch provided some information to this story.
