Video: Kansas City Missouri Police Officer Seriously Injured by ATV Driver Doing Wheelie

By PJ Green

Source The Kansas City Star

Kansas City police are searching for a suspect who drove an ATV into an officer, causing them to be hospitalized with serious injuries over the weekend.

The suspect, police say, is the driver of a black and lime green Yamaha Raptor 700 who allegedly struck an officer who was attempting to take them into custody Saturday.

The officer was briefly hospitalized with serious head injuries and is recovering at home.

At a news conference Monday, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves called it “a miracle” that the officer is able to recover from home. Graves and Mayor Quinton Lucas are pleading with the public for help with apprehending the suspect.

“I ask our city to step up and assist in identifying and locating the person responsible for the disgusting assault on your Kansas City police officer. In turn, I ask the person responsible for the assault on our police officer to make arrangements for a peaceful surrender, sooner than later,” Graves said.

“Last night, a reckless ATV driver caused injuries to a Kansas City police officer, mayhem on our streets, and continued to display the lawlessness that too many dirt bike, stunt drivers, ATV users, racers, and others display on streets in dense areas of our city,” Lucas said in a statement Sunday.

“Vehicles are not toys and the streets are not playgrounds for lawlessness. All have a right to enjoy our city uninterrupted by those whose actions bring harm to others,” Lucas said.

On Saturday just after 7 p.m., patrolling officers downtown near West 16th Street and Main Street allegedly saw illegal off-road motorbikes and ATVs driving erratically and doing stunts, police said in a statement Monday. Officers also observed the vehicles down the street on Main Street and Truman Road.

An officer attempted to throw a tire deflation device at an ATV to take the driver into custody while the vehicle was not moving, police spokesperson Phil DiMartino said. The driver of the ATV backed up and popped the vehicle into a wheelie, leaning the vehicle onto its rear tires and lifting its front tires off the road, striking the officer.

The ATV also landed on the officer and drove over him as it fled the scene. The suspect drove the wrong way on I-35 where other officers lost sight of the ATV, authorities said.

Video of the incident has been shared on various social media platforms.

Police have labeled the incident an aggravated assault.

Reckless driving problems

This incident is the latest traffic incident after years of local government’s efforts to combat street racing and reckless driving.

Recently, city ordinances have changed to increase fines and jail time. City Hall has also increased tow fees.

Kansas City police are in discussions with city officials to add additional cameras, automatic license plate readers, fencing and gates in areas in and around downtown to further curb street racing, sideshows, and dangerous motorized vehicles exhibiting lawless behavior, according to authorities.

“Rest assured as the weather gets warmer, serious enforcement action from KCPD, apprehension, and felony referrals to our prosecutors will follow for all those causing fear, serious injuries, and harm even to themselves on the streets of Kansas City,” Lucas said in his statement.

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