Kurt Irish charged

Kurt Irish - September 3, 2011
Johnson County Sheriff's Office Booking Photo

The man responsible for leading Lenexa Police in a vehicle pursuit and sparking a large area of western Shawnee to be locked down Friday afternoon is now facing a slew of charges. 


Kurt Irish, 43, has been charged with the following charges in Johnson County; Felony Aggravated Robbery, Felony Fleeing a Law Enforcement Officer, Misdemeanor Criminal Deprivation of Property, Misdemeanor Reckless Driving, Misdemeanor Drug Paraphernalia


These charges stemmed from a crime spree by Irish who is also a four-time Parole Absconder. The Aggravated Robbery allegedly occurred at Halftime Liquors, 15810 Shawnee Mission Parkway on August 19th around 8:30 p.m. Irish is said to have walked out of the store without paying for a bottle of Crown Royal. The store owner approached him in the parking lot to confront him, at that time Irish displayed a silver handgun and fled in a 1998 Ford Taurus.


The Ford Taurus that Irish fled the robbery in belongs to a relative, who loaned him the vehicle. When the vehicle was not returned to the owner, it was reported as stolen. That is where the Criminal Deprivation of Property charge stems from.


The remaining charges are from events of Friday, September 2nd. Lenexa Police spotted a man matching Irish's description driving the 1998 Ford Taurus that was reported stolen, around 10:45 a.m.. Police pursued that vehicle into Shawnee, where Irish sped up Barker Road and eventually onto a dirt driveway where the vehicle was found abandoned. This sparked a six-hour manhunt which involved K-9 teams from Shawnee, Lenexa and Olathe. Law Enforcement from surrounding agencies also took part in the search along with the FBI's Fugitive Apprehension Team. The manhunt was called off shortly before 5 p.m. Friday evening.


Friday evening around 9 p.m. Shawnee Police announced that Kurt Irish had been arrested in Lenexa. Police chalked up the arrest to "inter-agency teamwork." Police will only say that Irish did not turn himself in. No further details regarding the arrest have been released.


Irish is being held in the Johnson County Detention Center on a more than $100,000 bond this morning.


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Kurt Irish initial charges filed

Kurt Irish

An arrest log with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office lists multiple new charges for the man arrested following an afternoon manhunt and then his arrest around 9 p.m. Friday evening, Kurt Irish.

The charges include Felony Aggravated Robbery for the alleged robbery of Halftime Liquors, 15810 Shawnee Mission Parkway on August 19th around 8:30 p.m. It is alleged that Irish attempted to leave the store with a bottle of Crown Royal, when he was confronted by the store owner in the parking lot, Irish displayed a silver handgun.

Friday's events are said to have started when Lenexa Police spotted the silver 1998 Ford Taurus around 10:30 a.m.. Lenexa Police chased the vehicle, which crossed into the city of Shawnee. Irish is reported to have turned onto a dirt driveway in the 6200 block of Barker Road while attempting to flee from Police. The vehicle came to a dead end where Irish fled from the vehicle into the woods.

Police K-9 teams from Shawnee, Lenexa and Olathe assisted in the search of the wooded area. The Kansas Highway Patrol, Johnson County Sheriff's Office along with Merriam Police and the FBI Fugitive Apprehension Team were all involved in the extensive search.

The vehicle that Police spotted their suspect driving belongs to one of his relatives who loaned him the vehicle and he had not returned. That relative reported the vehicle as missing.

According to his Kansas Department of Corrections record, Irish is a repeat parole absconder, four times since 2004 along with multiple periods of incarceration dating back to 1995. Those charges include; attempting to elude Law Enforcement, aggravated escape from custody, burglary and theft.

This time Irish has been out on parole since July 8th of this year and confirmed as a parole absconder on August 30th.

 Irish is being held on a $100,000 bond with additional charges pending.

Related Stories:
Multi-agency manhunt in Shawnee
Wanted man arrested in Lenexa
Kurt Irish charged

Wanted man arrested in Lenexa

Latest story: Kurt Irish charged

Previous story:
Kurt Irish initial charges filed
Multi-agency manhunt in Shawnee


Shortly before 9 p.m. in Lenexa, Kurt Irish, the man responsible for the large multiple agency manhunt this afternoon was arrested.

Kurt Irish is a repeat parole absconder and was wanted in connection with an August 19th robbery of a Shawnee liquor store, along with a criminal deprivation of property regarding a relative's vehicle which he failed to return.

That vehicle was spotted by Lenexa Police early Friday afternoon. Irish failed to yield when Police attempted to stop the vehicle. The vehicle sped into Shawnee and down Barker Road where it was found abandoned in a dirt driveway in the 6100 block. The area was immediately surrounded by Police and multiple K-9 teams descended on the area to search for him.

K-9 teams from Shawnee, Lenexa and Olathe along with Officers from the Johnson County Sheriff's Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, Lenexa, Merriam, Olathe and the FBI's fugitive apprehension team all were involved in the more than four hour search.

Multi-agency manhunt in Shawnee

Latest story: Kurt Irish charged

Statement from Shawnee Police. Photo's of suspect below story.

Irish no longer is driving the Ford Taurus mentioned

Shawnee officers and officers from outside jurisdictions, including Lenexa, Olathe, Kansas Highway Patrol, and the FBI are currently searching for an individual wanted for Robbery. Police say the man is, 43 year-old, Kurt Irish. He is a white male, 6-feet tall, weighing 190lbs, with brown hair, and blue eyes.

He ran from a stolen car on Barker Road in an area north of Shawnee Mission Parkway after failing to stop for police officers.

Traffic has been blocked off on Johnson Drive just west of Interstate 435, west to Woodland Road and other traffic flow in the area could be temporarily affected during this search. If you observe an individual matching this description in that area of western Shawnee, police ask you to call 9-1-1.


Irish has an extensive criminal record with repeated history of fleeing from police. He has most recently absconded from Parole and is currently wanted for Robbery of a Shawnee Liquor Store.


Police broke down their perimeter shortly before 5 p.m. Mr. Irish remains at large and should be considered ARMED & DANGEROUS. Police say that they will be keeping an extra Police presence in the area of where the suspect was last seen.


Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 911 immediately.