Police on the scene Wednesday night after a person was found with a gunshot wound to the head in a parking lot off Johnson Drive. File photo credit Mike Frizzell.
A man is in custody after leading law enforcement from several local agencies on a high-speed chase through Olathe Thursday afternoon.
Catch up quick: Shawnee Police Capt. William Sanderson confirmed in a news release Thursday that the pursuit ended with the arrest of one person wanted in connection to Wednesday evening’s shooting in downtown Shawnee, which left one person hospitalized in critical condition.
What happened: Shawnee officers and Johnson County Sheriff’s deputies in unmarked vehicles began following a Toyota Matrix westbound on 95th Street near Nieman Road in Overland Park at about 12:45 p.m. Thursday.
Recorded radio traffic states that the unmarked vehicles followed the Toyota to southbound Interstate 35 in Lenexa, where the driver turned south and continued into Olathe.
The suspect vehicle exited on Old 56 Highway, where a Sheriff’s deputy in a marked vehicle attempted to make to stop the car at 12:54 p.m.
The driver sped away, sparking the pursuit.
Where it went: The chase led law enforcement from at least four different agencies north on side streets to Old Kansas City Road, passing Olathe North High School, and then east on 127th Street.
Pursuing deputies reported that the suspect briefly drove southbound in the northbound lanes of S. Black Bob Road near 135th Street before making a U-turn to go back north.
An officer attempted to use stop sticks near 127th Street and Black Bob Road, but the suspect swerved off the road to avoid hitting them.
Conclusion: One of the rear tires on the suspect vehicle was damaged, and a Sheriff’s deputy was able to perform a Tactical Vehicle Intervention, or TVI, bringing the Toyota Matrix to a stop near 117th Street and Black Bob Road.
The suspect was taken into custody at 1:05 p.m.
Speeds during the pursuit reached as high as 75 miles per hour.
What else: Several officers from Olathe and a K-9 unit from Shawnee assisted in the pursuit, along with several Kansas Highway Patrol troopers.
No injuries were reported in the pursuit or arrest.
A final thought: Shawnee Police have not released any details about the suspect or said if they are looking for anyone else in connection to Wednesday night’s shooting.
On Thursday, Sanderson said the victim of the shooting remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Mike Frizzell is a freelance crime and fire reporter who runs Operation 100 News and frequently reports and does photo assignments for the Post.
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