A Kansas City man is facing a felony charge after police say a stolen gray Chrysler 300 led officers on a chase from Gladstone onto two interstates before slamming into a concrete wall in North Kansas City. Robert A. Alexander is formally charged with aggravated fleeing a stop, and a search of the wrecked vehicle turned up two firearms, dozens of rounds of ammunition, and other items.
According to Northwest MO Info, the chain of events began when Gladstone Police overheard a Clay County Sheriff’s Dispatch report describing a stolen gray Chrysler 300 near Interstate 35 and Armour Road. Officers tracked a matching vehicle to a CVS parking lot at 7107 N. Oak Trafficway, but by the time it was confirmed to be the stolen car, it had already driven off, the outlet reports.
Assisting officers picked up the trail again, locating the vehicle in the Parkside Apartments parking lot at 7510 N. Oak Trafficway, per the same report. The moment officers switched on their emergency lights and sirens, the Chrysler took off, and the outlet notes that stop sticks were successfully deployed in an attempt to slow the vehicle down.
Chase Stretched Across Two Interstates
Despite the stop sticks, Alexander allegedly kept driving south before merging onto Interstate 29, eventually leading police onto Interstate 35 in North Kansas City, the report states. The pursuit came to an abrupt end when he crashed into a concrete wall, according to the account relayed by the outlet.
A subsequent inventory search of the wrecked car turned up two firearms, a total of 74 rounds of ammunition, an Autel device and parts, and multiple pairs of gloves, the station's report notes. Alexander's bond has been set at $50,000, and his arraignment was scheduled for 1:35 p.m. Monday, November 9, in Clay County court, per the same account.
Pursuits Carry Real Risk Across the Metro
Chases like this one are far from rare in the Kansas City area. Police across the metro engaged in more than 1,200 car chases in 2022 alone, resulting in more than 150 crashes, 51 injuries and two deaths, according to the Kansas City Star. Kansas City police alone recorded 597 chases over a five-year span, with 41 percent of them ending in collisions, the newspaper reports.
That same Star report found that eight people were killed in those wrecks over the five-year period, including five innocent bystanders. Citing national law enforcement leaders and experts, the paper notes that police vehicle pursuits are dangerous to the public and should only be allowed in cases where a violent crime has been committed and there is an imminent danger.
Another Northland Chase Ended With a Grappler
Alexander's case isn't the only recent high-speed pursuit to wind through Clay County. In a separate incident, prosecutor Zachary Thompson announced that Ivan Sanders was charged with felony aggravated fleeing and felony first-degree tampering, according to FOX 4 Kansas City. Court documents in that case described speeds exceeding 100 mph in a posted 40 mph zone, the station reports, and the chase only ended when a detective used a vehicle grappler to immobilize the suspect's car. The court set Sanders's bond at $100,000, per FOX 4's reporting.
Under Missouri law, aggravated fleeing a stop can carry serious consequences. Statutory text cited from the Missouri Revisor of Statutes specifies that certain violations under the aggravated fleeing statute can rise to a class A felony, though it is not established whether that specific provision applies to Alexander's charge. No outcome, plea, or further court proceedings in Alexander's case have been reported.
