Today Wyandotte County District Attorney Jerome Gorman filed multiple charges against Curtis R. Ayers, 28, Tonganoxie, Kan., in connection with the May 9 shooting death of Kansas City, Kan., Police Detective Bradley Lancaster.
The charges include capital murder; two counts of aggravated robbery; two counts of aggravated burglary; aggravated battery; two counts of kidnapping; and criminal possession of a firearm.
Gorman said bond was set at $10 million. He also said his office has not yet made a final decision on whether to seek the death penalty, and that decision will come after the investigation is complete and after discussions with the officer’s family. It will be the sole decision of the district attorney’s office, he added.
Ayers remains in the hospital currently in Missouri, Gorman said, and his condition has improved somewhat. Ayers was shot by a Kansas City, Mo., police officer who witnessed Ayers shooting a woman driving on U.S. 71. He was charged on Tuesday by the Jackson County, Mo., prosecutor in connection with that carjacking and shooting of a woman driver on U.S. 71, an incident that occurred after the shooting in Kansas City, Kan.
Detective Lancaster died from his injuries in the shooting near the Hollywood Casino on Monday. The suspect allegedly carjacked his vehicle and drove west.
The charges from the shooting incident near the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway included capital murder, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary, Gorman said.
Another incident, a carjacking at 118th and State Avenue, resulted in charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated battery, aggravated burglary and two counts of kidnapping. Two children were in the Toyota Camry that was allegedly carjacked at that location. A woman who was in the Camry was injured.
The final charge was felon in possession of a firearm. Gorman said the suspect had two firearms, including a long gun. He had been previously convicted of eluding a law enforcement officer, and the law does not allow those who have been previously convicted to have firearms.
Gorman said Wyandotte County will begin an extradition process immediately. The defendant is currently in the custody of Jackson County, Mo. Gorman plans to discuss the extradition with Jackson County officials.
“Our hope is that they will allow our charges to take precedent,” he added.
Gorman said the investigation is continuing, and he declined to discuss the facts of the case because the investigation was not yet complete. Many law enforcement agencies were involved in this case, including officers from the Wyandotte County agencies, Kansas City, Kan., Leavenworth County, Jackson County, Kansas City, Mo., Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Basehor, Kan., and the Kansas Highway Patrol.
However, in answer to a question, Gorman said that Hollywood Casino personnel had called for law enforcement assistance the day of the shooting. A bondsman had been at the casino on an earlier day looking for Ayers, he said, on a previous incident that happened in Leavenworth County.
Ayers was dropped off at the casino on Monday, and Gorman believes Ayers was inside the casino for a short period of time then.
Gorman said investigators believe Ayers had two separate weapons with him on the day of the shooting, including a long gun. However, at this time investigators do not believe he had a long gun with him when he was at the casino.
Gorman said there is a period of time that is not yet accounted for between the shooting at the casino and the shooting on Highway 71 in Missouri, in which the defendant may have obtained the long gun, and that if any citizens have any information on where the suspect was during that time, they should call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS.
Gorman added it is also possible that Leavenworth County prosecutors at some time may want to file charges against the defendant, involving another carjacking in Basehor after the defendant headed west.