(News release) – A St. Joseph man was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday for illegally possessing a firearm following a 11-hour standoff with law enforcement officers.

Terrance T. Brown, 40, of St. Joseph, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Brown on Sept. 18, 2017.

The indictment alleges that Brown, having been convicted of a felony, was in possession of a Ruger 9mm pistol on Sept. 13, 2017.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Brown was arrested following a 11-hour standoff at his residence on Sept. 13, 2017. Officers with the St. Joseph Police Department and the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department established a perimeter around the residence. After several minutes, three individuals (including a juvenile) came out of the residence, but Brown – who was armed with a handgun – remained inside. Officers with the Special Response Team used portable cameras to locate Brown in the attic of the residence. Eventually, Brown surrendered to officers and was arrested as he left the residence. The loaded Ruger 9mm pistol with an extended magazine was found during a search of the attic. Officers also found an empty box of Smith & Wesson .40-caliber ammunition.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Brown has a prior federal conviction in the District of Kansas for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Brown has two prior felony convictions for robbery in Wyandotte County, Kan., as well as prior felony convictions for aggravated assault and criminal possession of a firearm. Brown is currently under supervision by Missouri Probation and Parole for felony drug possession in Jackson County, Mo.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Morgan. It was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department and the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — The man who killed a Kansas City, Kansas, police detective last year was sentenced to more time in prison for crimes he committed in another county the same day.

The Kansas City Star reports 30-year-old Curtis Ayers was sentenced Thursday to 19 years and five months for carjacking and robbery.

Ayers is already serving a life sentence for the shooting death of Detective Brad Lancaster on May 19, 2016, near the Kansas Speedway. Lancaster had ties to St. Joseph. As we previously reported, he graduated from the law enforcement academy at Missouri Western State University in 1998 then went to work at the Platte County Sheriff’s Office and then later went to KCKPD.

After the shooting, Ayers fled and committed several other crimes, including entering a home in Basehor in Leavenworth County and stealing a man’s car at gunpoint.

He was arrested later that day in Kansas City, Missouri, after a police officer shot Ayers while he was trying another carjacking.

St. Joseph Habitat for Humanity broke ground Thursday morning on a site that will eventually offer housing for seven families in need.

According to a news release, construction on the new project will begin in the area of Duncan Street between 14th and Poplar Streets. Habitat plans to build two townhomes and three single-family units at the location. Habitat said the land has been underdeveloped for several years and is located directly across the street from Carden Park Elementary.

Habitat said families are selected based on need, willingness to partner with Habitat, and ability to make a mortgage payment. Families contribute 400 hours in sweat equity during the construction of their home and other St. Joseph Habitat homes. Once their home is completed, they purchase the home with a 1.5% down payment and a 20 year, 0% interest mortgage held by St. Joseph Habitat.

For more information about the organization contact Habitat at 816-279-2552.

A man wanted on a number of battery charges out of Atchison, Kansas was arrested Thursday morning after a multi-county chase that ended in Andrew County.

Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson said Friday afternoon, officers responded to a disturbance in the 300 block of N. 9th Street in Atchison.

“During the disturbance a 21-year-old male victim was beaten in the face, struck on the head with a handgun, and received bruises, cuts, and abrasions,” Wilson said. “The suspect left the scene before officers arrived but was subsequently identified as being Shane Gage.”

Wilson said a District Court warrant was obtained for Gage charging him with aggravated battery, aggravated assault, battery, criminal damage to property, and criminal possession of a firearm.

Around 2:45 a.m. Thursday, Wilson said Atchison police spotted Gage driving a vehicle in the area of 12th and Commercial in Atchison. Police attempted to stop the vehicle that Gage was driving but Wilson said he fled, eventually into Missouri. He was pursued and Buchanan County Sheriff’s deputies also attempted to stop the vehicle. The pursuit continued through Rushville and Dekalb, and into St. Joseph; through St. Joseph and into Andrew County where the 34-year-old was eventually taken into custody.

A former St. Joseph man said he was taken away by the humanity he saw in people in Las Vegas following Sunday’s mass shooting.

John Cox said he and his wife Karen were visiting Las Vegas and staying at the MGM Grand, a hotel adjacent to Mandalay Bay, the hotel in which a shooter fired onto a country music festival taking place on the Strip. According to reports, at least 59 people have died and more than 500 injured.

Cox said he and his wife had gone to Mandalay Bay for dinner and were in their room at the MGM Grand which overlooked the festival when he heard what he thought was a drum solo.

“We were just getting ready for bed preparing for our flight back to Kansas City (for a business meeting) on Monday morning,” Cox said. “The music stopped and all of a sudden I heard these shots again. Another cycle of about 100 shots.  I looked at my wife and I said, ‘there’s something peculiar going on.  This sound isn’t coming from the band.'”

He said the sound continued on and off for more than 10 minutes.

Cox is an aviation consultant and now lives in Arizona. He said he graduated from Bishop LeBlond High School in St. Joseph and eventually went on to work as the Airport Manager at Rosecrans Memorial Airport from 1994 to 2007.  Cox said he and his wife stayed in their hotel room until they were sure there was no longer a threat and then they wanted to provide aid.  He said around 1:30 a.m. they ventured down to the lobby.

“Housekeeping had brought out a bunch of blankets to help comfort the people that had left the event and needed somewhere to go.  They needed shelter.  A lot of them had blood on them,” Cox said.

He said he was amazed by the humanity he saw in the people during the aftermath.

“People helping people that they didn’t even know and trying to comfort people,” Cox said. “I’ve never seen such an out pour of support for other people that they didn’t even know.”