Lyon County Sheriff’s deputies temporarily pulled back from a car chase Tuesday morning, but the driver of the stolen vehicle that was being pursued continued a path across central Emporia, despite deputies’ efforts to block the car from a school zone.
At the end of the chase, near Olpe, officers arrested Andrew W. Zeiner, 29; Kenny J. Shoemaker, 21; and Lindsey E. Hamm, 23, all of Emporia.
According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, a deputy had been flagged down Tuesday morning at about 8 o’clock at West Highway 50 and Road B2.
“The subject told the officer they had just passed the car, which they had reported stolen the night before to the Emporia Police Department,” the release said.
Another deputy in the area found the suspect vehicle driving eastbound on Highway 50 near Flying J Truck Stop. He checked the license plate number through dispatch and confirmed the vehicle was stolen. The deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop at Graphic Arts Road and 12th Avenue, but the vehicle accelerated at a high rate of speed onto 12th Avenue, turned south onto Janice Street, then back eastbound on Highway 50.
“As the suspect neared Rural Street, the supervisor directed the officers to back off and not push the suspect into the school zone,” the release said. “Another deputy had stopped on Sixth Avenue between the schools with his lights on to encourage the suspect to turn off of Sixth Avenue to avoid the schools. The suspect turned south onto Neosho but then went east again on Fifth (Avenue).”
The deputy then moved his vehicle to Constitution Street and turned south, stopping at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Constitution Street to deter the suspect from continuing on in the area of the school.
“The suspect slowed but swerved around the stopped patrol car and continued east on Fifth to Merchant,” the release said.
The driver of the stolen vehicle took a series of zigzag turns on streets both east and west of Commercial Street before returning to Commercial and heading south out of Emporia toward Olpe.
Deputies used spike strips and managed to flatten one of the suspect’s tires. The vehicle slowed somewhat but continued fleeing, the release stated.
Deputies then tried to execute a “rolling road block” maneuver to box in the suspect, who drove off the road three times to avoid the officers.
The suspect struck one of the sheriff’s patrol units and caused minor damage.
At the intersection of Road K5 and Road 70, the driver lost control of the vehicle and went through the T intersection. and the suspects were apprehended and taken into custody.
Case reports will be turned over to the Lyon County Attorney’s office for consideration of formal charges.
jayhawker (anonymous) says...
Good for the deputies. I saw the criticism directed at them yesterday, but clearly they were not only attempting to apprehend criminals, but did so in a way to protect the public, especially school children. I have been an offender, too, but this is proof that we need to know all the facts before we offer an opinion.
September 10, 2008 at 2:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bjnemp (anonymous) says...
Yes, Jayhawker; most of the time cops are mercilessly attacked, no matter what they do, by small-minded people with lots to say and no facts to support their words. With cops, it's "damned if you do; damned if you don't." It sounds to me like in this difficult situation our local deputies did an outstanding job of not only apprehending some dangerous law-breakers, but of preventing a potentially bad outcome and protecting the public. Sounds like a job well done.
September 10, 2008 at 4:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coldhardtruth (anonymous) says...
Or maybe all the criticism they received prompted them to write an article about how "safe" they kept the chase. I've never read an article focused so much on the safety of a car chase.
September 10, 2008 at 4:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
spectator (anonymous) says...
I agree with you, Bjnemp, especially about the "damned if you do; damned if you don't" and the post immediately after yours confirms it. I guess that person would have preferred the felons escape to endanger us all again in the future.
September 10, 2008 at 4:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jayhawker (anonymous) says...
The article was written by the Gazette, coldhardtruth, not by the cops. In light of the criticism directed at them yesterday, I don't blame them for providing the reporter with the details (especially since the reporter probably asked). Society as a whole likes to turn things upside down. Instead of talking about who really created this danger, we criticize the people who we send out there to protect us. Amazing.
September 10, 2008 at 4:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bjnemp (anonymous) says...
coldhardtruth: Perhaps you have "never read an article focused so much on the safety of a car chase" because in most communities, the citizens appreciate the hard work of their law enforcement officers and don't second guess or criticize every move they make. The "cold hard truth" of the matter is: our deputies did a great job and got bashed by some uninformed citizens who didn't know the real facts. Now they do. It's unfortunate a follow-up article even had to appear.
September 10, 2008 at 4:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coldhardtruth (anonymous) says...
I usually do criticize the police, but I wasn't really meaning to criticize them today. I agree they did an excellent job. I seen them chasing that white car down 6th and they slowed at intersections and kept their driving under control. I was just trying to say this article was written because of yesterdays comments.
September 10, 2008 at 4:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bjnemp (anonymous) says...
coldhardtruth: Just curious: why do you "usually criticize" the police? I know several Emporia police officers, two that are good friends, and several troopers and sheriff's deputies. All are exceptional men that I feel very lucky to have serving as the only barrier between me, my family, and the hoard of thugs, thieves, and various other predators roaming our streets. They work long, hard hours and risk their lives every day. Without them, we would all be victims. In my world, police officers are respected and appreciated. So, why do you feel you must criticize them so much? Do you consider them to be adversaries? Do they interfere with your lifestyle, habits, or hobbies? Fire fighters and soldiers risk their lives to protect us, too. Do you dislike and disrespect them?
September 10, 2008 at 5:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Pingeon (anonymous) says...
Not sure why anyone would "usually criticize" the police. In my business, I work with them on a regular basis. I have come to find that they are pretty good people trying to do the right thing within the law they have to follow. Seems to me that's exactly what happened in this case as they tried to divert the runner away from the school. It's unfortunate that the driver ignored the police and went by the school anyway. I'm very happy to hear that no one was hurt as a result of this.
Police, firefighters and EMS personal are the 3 professions I respect very much. I don't know that I would want to deal with the things they have to deal with on a daily basis. I used to be an EMT and changed professions for a reason. I thank each of them for the job they do to help out total strangers every day (not to mention put their life on the line). To "usually criticize" them without knowing the full story is very unwarranted.
September 10, 2008 at 6:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
locke09 (anonymous) says...
i was there when the chase started. the stolen car pulled around me and accellerated when i pulled over when i saw the sheriff turn his lights on. it scared me a lot since i was taking my son to headstart. i am glad to hear that the sheriffs dept. tried to keep the children safe .
September 10, 2008 at 10:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
Instead of blaming the police, the jerks who stole a car and drove recklessly through town should be criticized. I hope they load them down with so many offenses they can't move! THEY endangered the public, not the deputies who were only doing their job and trying to get criminals off the road. There's nothing to say that those 3 young men weren't going to go on to commit a worse crime. A good friend of mine was MURDERED by a man who made a habit of stealing cars. He had been busted for carjacking a teenager the week before he met and killed my friend. So don't say, well, they just stole a car, big deal. You can never know what else someone is capable of and robbery shows a disregard for others that can lead to worse crimes.
September 11, 2008 at 9:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wyse_guy (anonymous) says...
all f the people in the stolen vehicle should be charged with child endangerment !!
September 11, 2008 at 12:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
house (anonymous) says...
strange that you have such a story like that I am deeply sorry for your friend, do you think that you would say a "carjacking" is then a total indicator of crime? I bet you do. Quite a hard to compare to someone so low and sick as an outright murderer. There is nothing WORSE that person stole a car.
September 12, 2008 at 10:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )