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Eastern Jackson County, MO —
Buckner Police Chief Mike Cook just wouldn’t give up.
What began as a routine traffic stop in Buckner Tuesday morning turned into a high-speed pursuit, leading police from several agencies on a chase that ended on Interstate 670 in Kansas City – but not before the suspect drove his vehicle into a Lafayette County school bus and then managed to drive about 10 miles after driving through stop sticks.
Cook said one of his officers noticed a vehicle at about 8:30 a.m. on Route BB in Buckner with an obstructed license plate. The officer discovered the vehicle had been reported stolen and turned on the sirens.
The driver, identified as William White, 36, of Kansas City, fled the scene, heading toward Grain Valley at a high rate of speed. Police there put down stop sticks at the intersection of Route BB (Buckner Tarsney Road) and Duncan Road, but White drove through them, entering onto Interstate 70.
By then, other agencies joined in, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
When White reached the area between the Missouri 7 and Woods Chapel Road exits, he came upon a Lafayette County School District bus and, moving beside it, then cut in front of it, losing control for an instant before regaining control.
“He ripped the mirror off his car,” Cook said, adding that by this point the front tires were showing wear from the sticks. None of the eight students on the bus was injured, Cook said.
Still, White managed to drive up onto the Woods Chapel Road exit and then immediately went back down onto I-70, gaining speed.
Independence also joined the pursuit. White reached Kansas City and started onto I-670, passing into Kansas at about 60 mph.
Cook said all police agencies abandoned the pursuit – except for himself and another officer. Cook moved up beside White’s car and motioned for him to stop, pointing his gun at him. Eventually White listened and pulled his car onto the shoulder and surrendered.
“How long are we going to let people like this get away?” Cook said, offering pointed criticism of those police agencies that are, more and more, backing off pursuits.
White, on parole through the Department of Corrections for an armed robbery, was wanted in Independence and Kansas City on several city warrants. He was also wanted in Platte County for a stolen auto charge. He was taken into custody and taken to Wyandotte County Jail.
Buckner Police Chief Mike Cook just wouldn’t give up.
What began as a routine traffic stop in Buckner Tuesday morning turned into a high-speed pursuit, leading police from several agencies on a chase that ended on Interstate 670 in Kansas City – but not before the suspect drove his vehicle into a Lafayette County school bus and then managed to drive about 10 miles after driving through stop sticks.
Cook said one of his officers noticed a vehicle at about 8:30 a.m. on Route BB in Buckner with an obstructed license plate. The officer discovered the vehicle had been reported stolen and turned on the sirens.
The driver, identified as William White, 36, of Kansas City, fled the scene, heading toward Grain Valley at a high rate of speed. Police there put down stop sticks at the intersection of Route BB (Buckner Tarsney Road) and Duncan Road, but White drove through them, entering onto Interstate 70.
By then, other agencies joined in, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
When White reached the area between the Missouri 7 and Woods Chapel Road exits, he came upon a Lafayette County School District bus and, moving beside it, then cut in front of it, losing control for an instant before regaining control.
“He ripped the mirror off his car,” Cook said, adding that by this point the front tires were showing wear from the sticks. None of the eight students on the bus was injured, Cook said.
Still, White managed to drive up onto the Woods Chapel Road exit and then immediately went back down onto I-70, gaining speed.
Independence also joined the pursuit. White reached Kansas City and started onto I-670, passing into Kansas at about 60 mph.
Cook said all police agencies abandoned the pursuit – except for himself and another officer. Cook moved up beside White’s car and motioned for him to stop, pointing his gun at him. Eventually White listened and pulled his car onto the shoulder and surrendered.
“How long are we going to let people like this get away?” Cook said, offering pointed criticism of those police agencies that are, more and more, backing off pursuits.
White, on parole through the Department of Corrections for an armed robbery, was wanted in Independence and Kansas City on several city warrants. He was also wanted in Platte County for a stolen auto charge. He was taken into custody and taken to Wyandotte County Jail.
