Suburban Kansas City man charged in connection to Independence stabbing, shootings
A Blue Springs man faces felony charges after he allegedly stabbed a person who gave him a ride, ran through residential backyards, attacked a random family and ended up in a confrontation where two other men were shot — one fatally — in Independence.
Prosecutors have charged Tyler C. Rizer, 28, with one count of first-degree assault and one count of armed criminal action stemming from the violent series of events Friday evening. He was being held Monday on a $500,000 cash-only bond in the Jackson County jail.
Charging documents filed in court identify Rizer as a suspect in the fatal shooting of Juavvion Bagsby, 29, of Independence, who was described by family members in public social media posts as a devoted husband and father. Bagsby was killed and another man was shot while Rizer was being confronted for allegedly invading property and assaulting two children.
The other person wounded, whose name was not included in charging documents, remained in the hospital Monday after being shot in the chest.
Court records indicated no charges filed against Rizer in the shootings as of Monday. There was also no record of a defense attorney for Rizer.
According to an affidavit prepared by an Independence police detective, officers were dispatched at 6:10 p.m. to the area of 40th Terrace and South Osage Street, where they found a man with stab wounds in a yard. A knife was also located nearby.
Witnesses reported seeing a suspect, who had approached them with one hand behind his back, and running him off the block. He was last seen on foot crossing lanes of Interstate 70.
As officers were on scene, roughly five minutes later, they heard gunfire coming from blocks away.
Other Independence officers were dispatched to what began as a disturbance and escalated to a shooting in the 4200 block of Osage.
One neighbor told police she sicced her dogs on a person who had run through her yard, according to court documents. He then jumped the fence and into another backyard.
Another resident said she was outside with her 3- and 5-year-old children when a man entered her yard. She tried to get into the house as the man assaulted them and threatened to kill them, the affidavit says.
The man, identified by police as Rizer, allegedly grabbed both children and wrestled with their mother before walking to the front of the residence. She told police she was on the phone with her husband, who arrived and confronted Rizer with a gun.
Then she heard gunshots and saw Rizer leave in her husband’s car, a white Chevrolet Impala.
Less than an hour later, police in Kansas City responded to an auto crash at 17th Street and Jackson Avenue.
The stolen Chevy was involved in the crash. Witnesses told officers a man tried to carjack someone after that crash, according to the affidavit.
Early Saturday morning, Independence police were informed that Rizer had been taken to North Kansas City Hospital by Kansas City police. He was taken into custody following an unrelated call for service, the affidavit says.
The stabbing victim was interviewed by an Independence detective after coming out of surgery.
During the interview, he said a man had approached him asking for a ride to the store. As they were driving there, in the westbound lanes of I-70, the man allegedly removed a knife from the center console and began acting in a threatening manner.
The driver said he pulled over on the highway shoulder, tried to take his keys out and was then stabbed. He said he ran, while being chased, to the closest houses where he saw people outside.
At the time of the stabbing and shootings, Independence police say Rizer was wanted for outstanding felony warrants. He also has a history of felony convictions that include assault on a law enforcement officer, robbery, burglary and motor vehicle tampering, according to court documents.
