Tow Truck Driver Involved Shooting (KC)

[TowNews]

One person suffers life-threatening injuries after tow leads to chase, shooting in KC

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One person has life-threatening injuries Tuesday night after a shooting near the Raytown-Kansas City border.

 

Police said the incident began in Raytown as a disturbance call involving the towing of a vehicle. A spokesperson for the tow company told FOX4 they were called for a police impound tow, and officers left before the car was secured.

 

Police then said a chase between the two vehicles ensued. According to the tow company, the driver of the car began chasing the tow truck driver.

 

The chase continued into Kansas City where it ended in a shooting near E. 59th Street and Marion Avenue.

 

One person has life-threatening injuries, police said, though they could not confirm who. The tow company did say, however, that the tow truck driver shot at the other driver.

 

Police could not confirm if anyone was in custody at this time.

 

Police said they are just beginning their investigation and will release more information as it’s confirmed.

 

RESOURCE LINK

[TowZone]

A Kansas City tow truck driver faces multiple felony charges after police say he chased after and shot a man whose vehicle he’d been attempting to tow.

 

Prentiss D. Burks, 42, was charged Wednesday with one count each of unlawful use of a weapon and second-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action after he seriously injured a fleeing driver, according to a press release from the Jackson County prosecutor’s office.

 

Officers responded to a shooting around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at 59th Street and Norfleet Road, according to the Kansas City Police Department.

 

The altercation began in Raytown when the driver of the vehicle Burks was trying to tow got into the driver’s seat and drove away. Burks followed in his tow truck, opening fire on the fleeing vehicle as they drove north on Norfleet Road, police said.

 

The chase and shooting continued as the vehicles traveled west on 59th Street, authorities said. The chase ended on 59th Street between Marion and Norfleet roads after Burks shot the other driver twice in the legs.

 

The victim told police he jumped in the vehicle and drove off when he noticed two tow trucks preparing to take it away. Police later found Burks in possession of a handgun that matched the shell casings found along the road where shots were fired.

 

Prosecutors are asking that Burks’ bond, set at $50,000 be increased to $100,000.

 

Burks did not have an attorney listed as of early Thursday afternoon.

 

https://www.kansascity.com/article242059076.html

[GRUMPS The Towman]

Crazy... if I shot up every person who took off as I was about to tow their car, I would have a kill count that would make Rambo jealous. What was this guy thinking?

[Jennings Towing]

If this reporting is accurate, this is a real black eye for our industry and should not be tolerated. Most of us try to maintain a professional image to reflect well on our industry. One incident like this can cause more harm to that image than we can build up over years.

[TowZone]

The story came out as a Police Ordered Tow when in fact this was a repo that went wrong. While I am all for drivers protecting themselves and even to the point of being armed when properly trained. This obviously by all the information which has been released was not a case of self defense. Flight or Fight is something that determines self defense. In this incident their were too many more options prior to pulling a weapon and taking a life. The REPO Driver could have phoned the police and continued to drive until he either got to a safe location or met up with the police. Stopping on a Repo or even a Police Ordered Tow is never advised.