KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City man is recovering at home after his vehicle was rear-ended during a police chase, initiated by a Claycomo police officer.
Late Friday evening, Steven Katkus was driving south on Interstate 35, heading toward downtown. He had just passed Parvin Road when he saw another vehicle coming up behind him fast.
The 34-year-old said he tried getting out of the way, but the driver rear-ended him, causing Katkus to lose control.
“It threw me into the guardrail, and I hit that pretty hard and it bounced me back on the roadway,” he said. “It was very abrupt and very violent.”
Katkus said he’s lucky to be alive. He was transported to the hospital where doctors found no broken bones or internal bleeding. He’s just in a lot of pain.
“Right now, I can barely get up and use my own bathroom,” he said. “It’s difficult to do anything other than to just lay down, even that is still miserable.”
The suspect ran into some nearby woods and remains on the loose.
In a telephone interview, Claycomo Police Chief Matt Coonce said one of his officers originally stopped the driver for a traffic violation.
Before the officer could get a word in with the driver, the suspect allegedly drove over the officer’s foot, prompting a pursuit. Coonce couldn’t confirm the speed of the suspect’s vehicle when it hit Katkus’.
Coonce said when the driver ran over the officer’s foot that was considered assault.
A copy of the department’s pursuit policy shows an officer can initiate a chase when a suspect has either “committed or attempted to commit a violent felony” or if a driver is believed to be impaired “presenting an imminent danger to the officer of public.”
It also states that the decision not to pursue or to abandon a chase “may be the most intelligent course of action.”
“Just seems kind of reckless to keep that situation going and putting people in danger,” Katkus said.
Coonce said the suspect wasn’t in a stolen vehicle and they don’t know the person’s identity. He said the investigation is ongoing.
Here’s a full copy of the department’s pursuit policy.
Currently, running from police is only a misdemeanor in Missouri. Local lawmakers from Cass County have proposed making it a felony if the chase puts the public in danger.
The law is similar in Kansas although running from police is an automatic felony if it’s your third police chase.
