MCCUNE — On Sunday, Feb. 23, deputies with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office responded to a vehicle pursuit that began in Neosho County near 60th and Trego Road and involved a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper.
Crawford County deputies converged to pick up the chase.
As deputies were arriving in the area, Crawford County dispatch was notified that troopers had pursued the vehicle into a field and through a creek before the pursued vehicle crashed.
The driver ran off. A short while later, the driver allegedly stole a UTV and sped eastbound toward Crawford County.
Law enforcement followed the tracks eastbound. A deputy in the area of South 20th and West 560th Avenue located the suspect on the UTV and attempted a stop, but the suspect refused and fled through a field.
A short time later, the UTV became disabled and the suspect ran, according to a social media post by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.
Troopers, deputies with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and game wardens with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks set a perimeter to contain the suspect in the area of South 30th and West 570th Avenue.
An aircraft from the Kansas Highway Patrol’s Air Support Unit participated.
Law enforcement found the driver, Taran Lapiere, 29, of Fort Scott. Lapiere was seen by Crawford County EMS after complaining of injuries sustained during the crash. He was to Labette Health in Parsons.
