DOUGLAS COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and have a suspect in custody.
Just before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, police attempted to perform a traffic stop in north Lawrence on a green Dodge pickup driven by a suspect believed to have committed a previous armed robbery, according to Sgt. Amy Rhoads.
The driver, identified as 29-year-old Theoplis Lee Ellis of Kansas City fled southbound on 2nd Street toward downtown Lawrence. Police decided to terminate the pursuit due to safety concerns.
At approximately 12:43 p.m. the same vehicle was observed westbound on 7th Street from the downtown area. Officers swarmed the area to locate the vehicle, and witnesses reported seeing the vehicle driving recklessly on Iowa Street and attempted to stop the vehicle, but it fled southbound.
The driver then entered Kansas 10 eastbound from Iowa Street, with officers pursuing. Somewhere between Michigan Street and Louisiana Street the suspect vehicle left the highway to the south and officers lost sight of the vehicle as it traveled off road.
A county deputy in the area then located the vehicle a short time later, wrecked down an embankment in the area near where E 1400 Road crosses the Wakarusa River.
Deputies located and took Ellis into custody. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries sustained in the crash.
During the pursuit, a police vehicle was involved in a collision at 25th Street and Iowa Street. Initial information indicates the marked police vehicle was southbound on Iowa Street, involved in the pursuit, when an eastbound vehicle entered the intersection. The two vehicles collided. The driver of the other vehicle was transported to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The officer involved was not injured. The department’s Accident Investigations Unit is conducting the investigation into the crash.