KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Wednesday morning, Kelly Alley and her friends were on one bridge in the River Market area when they witnessed police pursuing a fleeing driver determined to get away from police and sheriff’s deputies hot on his trail.
“My friends and I were just up here standing on a bridge overlooking the river when we saw all those cops, and then the next thing we see him swimming towards us. It was unbelievable,” said Alley. “I quickly pulled out my camera to get a picture of him.”
Investigators say Clay County Sheriff’s deputies first tried to pull over the man during a traffic stop near 152 Highway and Platte Purchase Drive.
“The car he drove was probably in a robbery, ” Sergeant John Frazier with Kansas City police told FOX 4.
Investigators say the man failed to stop and led sheriff’s deputies on a chase into Platte County, Clay County, Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas and then rolled along the Broadway Bridge.
“When the deputies entered our city, we assisted by putting down stop sticks to blow out his tires, ” added Sgt. Frazier.
Sure, the law enforcement officers were successful stopping the fleeing driver’s vehicle, but police say the fearless man quickly jumped out of his car and jumped right into the Missouri River.
“I’d never seen anything like that before, somebody jumping into the river during a pursuit. It was crazy, ” Sgt. Frazier said.
Some estimate the daring driver dove at least 90 feet into river, swam to the bank, briefly hid in some nearby bushes. However, when the man darted back into the river, investigators say several Kansas City police officers quickly grabbed and arrested him.
“KCMO 816,” that’s what the suspect yelled before paramedics put him on a stretcher and into an ambulance. The man initially went to the hospital to be checked out. An officer told FOX 4 he was later transferred to a holding cell.
“We never expected to say that down here, no way,” said Alley laughingly.
By late Wednesday, police had not released the man’s name, age or told FOX 4 what charges he will likely face.