Curtis Ayers. (Facebook)
A suspect accused of fatally shooting a police detective and then carjacking a vehicle with children inside was shot by police after a lengthy manhunt, the Kansas City Star reports.
Curtis Ayers, 28, was wanted by police in Kansas City, Kansas, police said.
Detective Brad Lancaster, 39, was identified as the slain officer.
Ayers was shot by officers early Monday afternoon in Tonganoxie, Kansas, the Star reports. He is also suspected of shooting a woman during a carjacking attempt prior to being wounded by officers.
Ayers is in stable condition, according to the Star.
The first shooting happened at about 12:30 p.m. near Hollywood Casino on Hollywood Casino Boulevard, according to police. The children in the carjacked vehicle were later found unharmed, police said.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Police Say Ayers Stole Another Car After Ditching the First Vehicle He Carjacked
(Facebook)
Police said Curtis Ayers fled from the shooting scene in the wounded detective’s vehicle, before stopping and carjacking another vehicle with children inside, KMBC-TV reports.
#BREAKING: KCK detective shot near Hollywood Casino. Suspect carjacked vehicle with kids inside.
Ayers then abandoned that vehicle in Basehor, where the children were found. It was believed that he then carjacked a second vehicle.
No one was injured in that carjacking. A witness told the Kansas City Star that the carjacker was covered in blood.
Ayers was shot at least once by officers during a shootout on Bruce Watkins Drive at Bannister Road about two and a half hours after the first incident, the Kansas City Star reports. He was taken to a local hospital.
Police said he was shot after crashing the vehicle he carjacked.
The highway was closed as a result of the shooting.
#BREAKING: 71 Hwy closed at Bannister because of police involved shooting.
He attempted a third carjacking prior to being shot by police, according to reports. He shot a woman during that incident, but she is expected to survive.
2. Ayers Was Released From Prison on Parole in January
(Facebook)
Curtis Ayers was released from prison on parole on January 9, 2016, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records.
He had been in prison since February 15.
(Kansas Department of Corrections)
Ayers was arrested on June 25, 2014, in Leavenworth County, Kansas, on charges of fleeing/attempting to elude law enforcement, interfering with police and abandonment of a child less than 16.
He was disciplined for several offenses while in prison, including four times for possession of contraband tobacco, once for being in a restricted area and once for possession of dangerous contraband, records show.
3. The Detective Was Rushed to the Hospital & Died After Undergoing Surgery
Brad Lancaster was killed in the line of duty, according to KCK Fraternal Order of Police t.co/nwHhLRoB8d
Kansas City Police Chief Terry Ziegler said Detective Brad Lancster underwent surgery Monday afternoon. He later died of his injuries.
Officer in surgery. Please pray for him and his family!
Our Detective fought a good fight, but unfortunately he died from his injuries @ approx. 1530 hours. Thanks for the support & prayers.
Lancaster was an Air Force veteran who previously worked for the Platte County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas City Star reports.
He was married and had two daughters.
“His death reminds us that our community depends on the first responders –many brave men and women — who daily risk their lives for our safety,” Kansas City Mayor Mark Holland said in a Facebook post. “This detective demonstrated that bravery, and his sworn commitment to keeping us safe, when he attempted to stop a carjacking near Kansas Speedway earlier this afternoon. He stood in harm’s way to do his job and lost his life in the process.”
4. Police Were Investigating a ‘Suspicious Party’ Call Involving Ayers When the Shooting Occurred
(Facebook)
The wounded detective was assisting an officer investigating a “suspicious party call” involving Curtis Ayers, KMBC-TV reports. Other details about the call were not made public.
Police were trying to pull Ayers over, WDAF-TV reports.
“This individual was very dangerous. We are so happy that this individual is in custody. Thanks to the collaboration and hard work of our Kansas partners in law enforcement. We are so glad this situation has come to an end,” Sergeant Kari Thompson, a police spokesperson, told KHSB-TV.
5. He Went to School in North Carolina & Has Worked for a Drywall Company
(Facebook)
Ayers graduated in 2004 from Cape Lookout High School in Morehead City, North Carolina, according to his Facebook page. He also attended Cassville High School in Missouri.
He says he went to Craven Community College in Cherry Point, North Carolina, and Carteret Community College, in Morehead City. He says he works for Flawless Drywall Finishing and Repair in Lawrence, Kansas.
Ayers says he was married in 2010 and has two children, but it’s not clear if he is still with his wife.
