KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City leaders held a Monday morning news press conference to provide more details about Saturday night’s aggravated assault against a KCPD officer by an ATV driver.
KCPD officers were on patrol in the near East 16th and Main streets at 7:16 p.m. when they saw a group of illegal, off-road motorized bikes and an ATV.
An officer tried stop sticks to stop and arrest the ATV driver at East Truman Road and Main Street. The ATA driver struck the officer with the vehicle, ran over the officer and sped away from the scene.
“The driver backed up, brought the ATV into a wheelie and stuck our officer, landing on top of our officer and continued to drive over him as he fled the scene,” said Kansas City, Missouri, Police Chief Stacey Graves. “Today the ATV driver is still at large and wanted for aggravated assault.”
According to KCPD, the suspect sped north in the southbound lanes of Interstate 35. The driver is believed to be a man who was driving a black and lime green Yamaha Raptor 700.
A viewer sent this video she took from the KC Wheel.
Efforts to crack down on illegal ATVs have been going on for several years. Some of the solutions have been higher fines and jail time, penalties for spectators and installing more cameras.
Now, leaders are pushing for another ATV to help patrol downtown, automatic license plate readers and impoundment.
“We have worked closely, not just with the city attorney’s office, legal council at the Kansas City Police Department, and certainly our state leaders, to make sure that we have those tools to ensure that not just arrests but also impoundment is in the tool box,” said Mayor Quinton Lucas.
Starting this summer, there will be police patrols on Sundays.
“While our officer recovers from his serious injuries, I ask our city to step up and assist in identifying and locating the person responsible for the disgusting assault on your Kansas City police officer,” said Chief Graves.
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