Driver of stolen vehicle leads police on 25-mile pursuit

Posted: February 23, 2014 - 3:00am
Updated: February 23, 2014 - 4:19am

Lawrence Journal-World report: Edwardsville man in custody after leading police on 25-mile pursuit.

A Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper attempted to stop a vehicle in north Lawrence early Sunday. The driver of that vehicle didn't stop and ended up leading police on a 25-mile pursuit through parts of three counties.

Around 12:20 a.m. a Trooper reported spotting a vehicle that had been reported stolen from an address in Lawrence, and attempted to stop the vehicle, near Interstate 70 and North Third Street. The driver sped up and the chase was on. A nearby Lawrence officer joined the pursuit as they turned eastbound on U.S. 24.

Speeds reached 70 miles per hour as they passed Lawrence Municipal Airport and then turned eastbound on Kansas Highway 32, crossing into Leavenworth County.

The Trooper reported speeds of 80 miles per hour as they approached Linwood city limits.

As the chase crossed into Wyandotte County and the city of Bonner Springs, officers with the Bonner Springs Police Department were able to hit three of the suspect vehicle's tires with spike strips.

Speeds dropped to the 55 miles per hour speed limit as the chase continued through the eastside of Bonner Springs, still on K-32.

The chase came to an end about a mile inside Edwardsville city limits, at mile marker 22, just before 12:50 a.m.. The Lawrence officer and the Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper were then able to take the driver into custody without further resistance.

Google Earth map showing the distance covered during the pursuit
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Lawrence Police confirmed that the vehicle was stolen. The Trooper learned that the driver has a felony warrant for his arrest out of Leavenworth County and does not have a valid driver's license.

After about 10 minutes in custody, the suspect requested an ambulance, because he wasn't feeling well. An ambulance from the Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department responded, but did not transport the man to the hospital. The Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper transported the man back to Lawrence and Lawrence Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The Kansas Highway Patrol says no officer were injured and no police vehicles were damaged during the pursuit.

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Lawrence man charged with attempted first-degree murder in Valentine's day shooting

Posted: February 14, 2014 - 2:47am
Updated: June 27, 2014 - 4:13am

Jury finds Valentine’s Day shooter guilty of attempted first-degree murder, other charges, June 25 report from reporting partners at 6News Lawrence.

Victim describes being shot multiple times in Perry Park confrontation; suspect facing trial, March 12 report from reporting partners at the Lawrence Journal-World

Original Report:

Douglas County Prosecutors have charged a 34-year-old Lawrence man in connection with the Valentine's day shooting of another man in Lawrence.

Video from Operation 100 News reporting partners at 6 News Lawrence

Lawrence Police were called to L.R. "Dad" Perry Park, 1200 Monterey Way, by the shooting victim just before 2:15 a.m.. Officers located the victim inside his vehicle in the north parking lot of the park, near the intersection of Harvard Road and Lakecrest Road.

Medics reported the victim's injuries to be critical. The victim, later identified as 36-year-old Anthony Widsom, was transported to a Topeka area trauma center by a LifeStar helicopter. The helicopter landed in Lawrence in front of the Hy-Vee store near W. 6th Street & Monterey Way.

Photo provided by Evan Elzea, @evanelzea on Twitter
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Used with permission

Sgt. Hayden Fowler with the Lawrence Police Department tells Operation 100 New partners at 6News that the victim was alert and able to tell police the name of the man who allegedly shot him. The suspect, J.D. Turner, and the victim knew each other and were involved in a verbal altercation before the shooting occurred.

Officers were familiar with alleged suspect and a vehicle he is known to drive. That vehicle was located at the Kwik Shop near 23rd & Harper just before 3 a.m.. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.

The victim remains hospitalized Friday afternoon.

After being interviewed, Turner was arrested and later booked into the Douglas County Jail. He faces a charge of attempted first-degree murder. His bond has been set at $250,000.

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Man fleeing from U.S. Marshals collides with building in Shawnee

Posted: February 12, 2014 - 3:13pm
Updated: February 13, 2014 - 1:08am

The U.S. Marshals Service detains a man Wednesday in front of Rick's Barber Shop.
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Additional photos below report

A man attempting to elude capture was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Shawnee on Wednesday when his vehicle collided with a support pillar of a business and then plowed into a snowbank.

The incident happened around 1:15 p.m. in the parking lot of the Burlington Coat Factory, 6451 Quivira Road.

Operation 100 News report for the Shawnee Dispatch.

The man spotted the approaching vehicles and attempted to flee in his vehicle.

During his attempted escape he crashed his car into a support pillar outside of Rick's Barber Shop and then into a snowbank, where his vehicle became stuck. The man, later identified as Dillon J. Taylor, 22 of Kansas City, Kansas, was arrested without further incident.

A passenger inside the car was detained and later released at the scene.Shawnee Police were called to the scene to make a report regarding the non-injury accident involving the building.

Dillon James Taylor, 22
Johnson County Sheriff's Office booking photo

The U.S. Marshals Service said Taylor was wanted on a Kansas Department of Corrections warrant.

Booking records confirm, 22-year-old, Dillon James Taylor was booked for a Kansas Department of Corrections parole violation. 

Kansas Department of Corrections records show Taylor was convicted on domestic battery with intentional bodily harm charges in 2011 and drug related charges in 2012. He served 11-months before being paroled. Records show that he failed to comply with the terms of his parole in early January 2014. 

No one was injured in the accident or during the apprehension.

At the request of the of a U.S. Marshal at the scene, some faces have been blurred to conceal identities.

The scene after one man was arrested by U.S. Marshals
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U.S. Marshals and Shawnee Police at the scene
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A U.S. Marshal and Shawnee police officer
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The scene after one man was arrested by U.S. Marshals
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Skid marks leading to the pillar where the vehicle crashed before getting stuck in the snowbank
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Victim of Sunday morning incident identified as the investigation continues

Posted: February 9, 2014 - 3:39am
Updated: February 11, 2014 - 10:11am

Update:

Franklin Spottedtail
KDOC photo from Lawrence Journal-World

Lawrence Police have identified the victim of Sunday morning's incident as 23-year-old, Franklin J. Spottedtail.

A Monday news release says that Spottedtail was the victim of a shooting, not a stabbing as had been previously reported. The department's call log also showed Sunday morning's incident to be a stabbing.

Police said they were called to the 1100 block of George Court at 3:08 a.m. for a possible stabbing. Officers and medics found Spottedtail injured and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives interviewed several individuals and crime scene technicians processed the scene for evidence.

The incident remains under investigation and has not been ruled a homicide at this time.

Operation 100 News reporting partners at the Lawrence Journal-World report that Spottedtail pleaded guilty in Douglas County court for his part in a Feb. 26, 2011, attempted armed robbery of a man on Tennessee Street. Spottedtail was sentenced to 34 months in prison by District Judge Sally Pokorny. He was released from the Hutchinson Correctional Facility last October and placed on probation.

Anyone with information regarding Sunday morning's incident is asked to call the Lawrence Police Department at 785-832-7509 or Douglas County CrimeStoppers at 785-843-8477. Callers to CrimeStoppers can remain anonymous.

Original report:

Last updated February 9, 2014 - 4:04am

Aerial image of the area
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Lawrence Police are investigating after an unknown call for police led them to a stabbing victim.

A neighbor in the Northwinds Apartments, 1100 block of George Court, awoke to the sound of someone banging on the door and yelling for someone to call 911, just before 3:10 a.m. Sunday.

Officers arrived to find a stabbing victim inside one of the apartments.

Lawrence Medics pronounced the victim dead at the scene.

No other details were immediately available.

This morning's stabbing is just a short distance from a February 6th incident that left one man bleeding and seeking help from a neighbor.

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Overland Park Police vehicle rear-ended on US-69

Posted: February 9, 2014 - 1:11am
Updated: February 9, 2014 - 4:19am

Aerial image of the area
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Overland Park Police are investigating after a patrol vehicle was rear-ended on U.S. 69 Highway this morning.

Officers were investigating a minor injury accident in the southbound lanes of the highway when a suspected intoxicated driver crashed into the back of a stopped police vehicle, about 12:50 a.m. Sunday.




No one was injured in the crash and officers have detained the driver for suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

The crash forced officers to shut down all southbound lanes of the highway between 179th Street and 199th Street. All southbound lanes were reopened before 3 a.m..

This morning's accident is the third collision involving stopped Overland Park patrol vehicles on area highways already in 2014.

On January 14th, an officer sustained minor injuries when her parked patrol vehicle was rear-ended in the northbound lanes of U.S. 69 Highway just to the south of 183rd Street as she was investigating an accident. Previous report.

Submitted photo of January 31st accident
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The second accident occurred on Interstate 435 near Metcalf Avenue on January 31st. Again, an officer was stopped on the side of the highway investigating an accident when his patrol vehicle was struck from behind. The officer suffered minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital where he was treated and released.

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Man stabbed in Lawrence neighborhood

Posted: February 6, 2014 - 3:49am
Updated: February 6, 2014 - 5:17pm


Lawrence Journal-World follow up report: Two men arrested after blood-soaked man seeks refuge in northeast Lawrence living room

Aerial image of the area
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Lawrence Police are investigating after a man reported being stabbed Thursday morning.

Officers were called to an address in the 100 block of Florida Street just before 3:15 a.m. by a resident who reported an unknown man at her door and asking her to call for an ambulance.

Police arrived to report numerous people outside and one man with lacerations to his arm.

The victim was transported to Lawrence Memorial Hospital by Fire Medical crews. His injuries were only described as serious.

Police have transported several witnesses to the Investigation and Training Center to be interviewed. One man has been detained as a possible suspect.

No other details were immediately available.

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Fire under investigation at Westar facility in Lawrence

Posted: February 5, 2014 - 4:48am
Updated: February 5, 2014 - 2:01pm

Firefighters from several Douglas County township fire departments are on the scene of a reported building fire at the Westar power plant.

Crews were called to the plant shortly before 4 a.m. on reports of black smoke coming from a heavy equipment building on the property located at 1250 N. 1800 Road.

Arriving crews reported heavy black smoke coming from around the doors of the 60x60ft building.

It took crews about 40 minutes to begin attacking the fire. There were apparent issues with a establishing a solid water supply and the gauges on one fire truck were said to be frozen.

Around 5 a.m. crews were ordered to evacuate the building and begin a defensive attack from the exterior as fire had began burning through the roof.

Crews reported the fire to be under control at 6:48 a.m..

The Kansas state fire marshal's office has been called in to investigate what caused the fire.

No injuries were reported.

Shane Batchelder, a Westar spokesman tells the Lawrence Journal-World, an official cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Batchelder said the fire did not spread beyond the building, which he said houses large equipment like bulldozers. Nothing involved in the production of energy at the plant was affected, Batchelder said.

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Two injured in Shawnee apartment fire

Posted: February 5, 2014 - 12:35am
Updated: February 5, 2014 - 1:56pm

Photo Courtesy: Shawnee Dispatch - Michael Terry
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Shawnee fire officials say careless smoking caused late night fire at the Cottonwood Park Apartments that injured two people.

Crews were called to the complex at 6311 Cottonwood Street shortly before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night.

Shawnee Police arrived and reported fire visible and one person possibly trapped inside an apartment. An officer was able to quickly locate and remove one man from an apartment.

When firefighters arrived they reported flames were visible from the exterior of the three-story apartment building.

Johnson County Med-Act reported one man was transported to the University of Kansas Hospital's burn center. His injuries were described as serious burns. A female with minor smoke inhalation was transported to Shawnee Mission Medical Center. A third ambulance was dispatched to remain on the scene as crews continued to work the fire.

The fire was reported under control shortly after midnight and then confirmed to be out at 12:42 a.m.

Investigators say the resident of the apartment had been drinking alcohol and fell asleep in bed while smoking a cigarette. Neighbors awoke to the sound of smoke alarms and called 911 for help.

Shawnee fire marshal Corey Sands says, "this fire underscores the extreme dangers of smoking in bed and especially while under the influence."

The Merriam Fire Department and a Battalion Chief from the Overland Park Fire Department assisted on the call.

The Red Cross is assisting residents who were displaced by the fire.

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Decomposing body identified as missing Roeland Park woman

Posted: February 3, 2014 - 12:52am
Updated: February 5, 2014 - 2:17pm

Sandra Herron-Burns

Roeland Park Police and the Johnson County Sheriff's Office are investigating after a decomposing body was discovered in a wooded area Sunday evening in the 4800 block of Roe Avenue.

Police have identified the person as 43-year-old, Sandra Herron-Burns, who was reported missing in December.

Authorities say she was identified using fingerprint records. An autopsy is scheduled to determine a cause of death.

Her body was found just a short distance from where she was last seen on December 9th. Surveillance video captured Herron-Burns leaving the Price Chopper store at 4950 Roe Boulevard and she had not been seen since. Operation 100 News report on Sandra Herron-Burns disappearance.

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Shawnee Police Investigating Armed Robbery

Posted: February 2, 2014 - 6:05am
Updated: February 2, 2014 - 6:37am

Shawnee Police are investigating after a woman says she was robbed while walking to work this morning.

The incident was reported shortly after 5:45 Sunday morning in the parking lot of the Arbor Square apartments, located in the 7600 block of King Street. The apartments are just west of Nieman Road, on the south side of 75th Street.

Aerial image of the apartment complex
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The victim told police that she was walking through the parking lot when a black male approached her, displayed a black handgun and demanded her cell phone and cash. She complied with the suspect, who then fled the area in a vehicle. He was last seen driving eastbound on 75th Street from the apartment complex.

The suspect was described as a younger black male with a caramel complexion. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a red shirt underneath, and a black stocking cap.

The getaway vehicle was described as a white, late 1990's or early 2000's model Jeep with the spare tire mounted on the back. A Dodge Stratus passenger car was also seen leaving the area at the same time. Police are not sure if this vehicle was involved in the incident.

Police continue to investigate and say the victim was not injured in the incident.

A similar robbery was reported earlier Sunday morning near the intersection of 75th Street and Wornall Road in Kansas City, Missouri.

Anyone with information is asked to call Shawnee Police at 913-631-2155 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.

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