KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man pleaded guilty Thursday in the 2020 shootings of a Kansas City, Missouri, police officer and a RideKC bus driver.
Justin Rogers, 29, entered guilty pleas to two counts of second degree assault, according to Jackson County Court records.
Rogers was sentenced to nine years in prison on both counts, but his sentence will run concurrently.
He will serve nine years in prison instead of 18 years.
The shootings happened about 10:40 a.m. on July 2, 2020, near Independence and Hardesty avenues.
Witnesses told police Rogers stole a wallet from an intoxicated man at a bus stop before getting on the city bus.
The bus driver alerted his supervisor and police officers came to the bus.
Rogers shot the officer as the officer used the rear entrance to get on the bus. Rogers also shot the bus driver.
Other officers arrived and Rogers shot at them, according to a Missouri Highway Patrol spokesman at the shooting scene.
A KCMO police officer shot and seriously wounded Rogers.
The officer, an 18-year veteran, was treated at a hospital and released just hours after being shot.
The bus driver also suffered non life-threatening gunshot wounds.
A spokesperson for the Missouri Highway Patrol praised the actions of the bus driver for quickly notifying police and driving slower than normal to make sure officers were able to get to the bus.
Later that same day, a second Kansas City, Missouri, police officer, Tyler Moss, was critically wounded in a shooting in east Kansas City.
Moss suffered a severe head wound, but made an incredible recovery.
He works for the department as a civilian.
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