KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — A 50-year-old Kansas City man, arrested during a standoff Tuesday night that started after three KCPD officers were shot, faces federal charges unrelated to the standoff.
Jimmie R. Lewis Jr. was charged in a three-count criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court. He remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on March 6.
Federal prosecutors charged Lewis on Wednesday with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The offenses allegedly occurred on Nov. 7, 2021.
According to court documents, Lewis was driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck eastbound on 23rd Street in Independence on Nov. 7, 2021. Due to the truck matching the description of a stolen vehicle, an Independence police officer attempted to conduct a vehicle check.
Lewis led officers in a high-speed chase that reached speeds up to 100 mph, passing other vehicles and running stop signs, court records say.
Lewis’s vehicle struck a curb near Norledge and Evanston in Independence, flattening a tire. Lewis ran on foot but was caught, prosecutors say.
Lewis, who allegedly had $2,084 in his pocket, was carrying a backpack while running from police officers.
Inside the backpack, officers said they found a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun and nine plastic bags that contained a total of 395.64 grams of meth, court records say. Officers also found 19.17 grams of meth under the passenger’s seat of the Ford F-150.
Court records show Lewis has multiple prior felony convictions, the most recent being two counts of assault and one count of resisting/fleeing arrest in a Jackson County case.
Just after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Kansas City officers were executing a search warrant and announced their arrival, according to police, when they opened the door and were met with gunfire.
Three KCPD officers were shot and were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Lewis was arrested at some point during that standoff that continued until around 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said SWAT teams entered and secured the home. Inside, they found a man dead, and a woman was taken into police custody with no injuries.
