Man pulled from floodwaters led officers on high-speed chase: court documents
A Kansas City man is facing criminal charges after he allegedly led Independence police officers on a high-speed chase, during which he was pulled from floodwaters in Kansas City.
William Cook, 45, faces an aggravated fleeing a stop or detention charge in Jackson County court after he allegedly led Independence police on the chase Monday, leading to a water rescue in east Kansas City, according to a charging document filed Wednesday.
Two officers with the Independence Police Department initiated the pursuit around 11:30 p.m. Monday after Cook failed to pull over for a traffic stop near East 23rd Street South and South Arlington Avenue, according to a probable cause statement filed in Jackson County.
The vehicle allegedly reached speeds up to 94 mph as Cook drove through “road closed” signs and barricades, and struck traffic cones, the statement said.
The vehicle eventually became disabled at the intersection of 23rd Street and Television Place, in east Kansas City, after Cook drove into a flooded intersection, according to the court document. Cook allegedly fled into a flooded field, where he swam away from officers.
The Kansas City Fire Department’s water rescue team was called to assist, eventually retrieving Cook from the floodwaters, the document said.
The vehicle Cook was driving had been reported stolen in March from a Kansas City car dealership, according to the document.
The probable cause statement alleged Cook was previously involved in a police pursuit with the Independence Police Department on Jan. 27.
Cook is being held in the Jackson County Detention Center on a $25,000 cash-only bond, according to the jail’s inmate listing. No further court dates are set for his case.
