A 21-year-old Kansas City, Kansas, man is facing charges for an alleged rolling disturbance along Interstate 35 in Johnson County on Sunday evening that included gunshots fired.
Merriam Police say it happened at about 7:54 p.m. on I-35 near 67th Street.
The disturbance involved the occupants of two vehicles, with one suspect allegedly firing a gun at the other vehicle.
“Both vehicles entered I-35 from 67th Street, traveling northbound in the southbound lanes,” police said in the statement. “One vehicle attempted to turn back southbound and struck an uninvolved vehicle.”
The other car, later determined to be the suspect, drove into the grass near Aristocrat Motors, and the driver ran onto the car lot.
Officers quickly located him and took him into custody.
Troopers from the Kansas Highway Patrol, along with police officers from Lenexa, Mission, Overland Park and Prairie Village, responded to the area to assist with the brief search.
Firefighters from Overland Park and Johnson County Med-Act paramedics responded to check on the occupants of the vehicle that was shot at, as well as those in the vehicle that was hit on the highway.
A short time later, a second ambulance responded to check the suspect for injuries.
Police say no one was seriously injured.
Police did not say if the gunfire caused any damage to the other driver’s vehicle.
No one was transported to a hospital by ambulance.
“Detectives are actively working to determine the full circumstances of the incident,” police said in the statement.
The Kansas Highway Patrol closed the southbound lanes of I-35 at Shawnee Mission Parkway as officers searched for evidence and investigated the scene.
Most of the highway was reopened shortly before 10 p.m., with Merriam officers and detectives keeping the exit ramp to 67th Street closed as they continued to search for potential evidence.
The suspect’s vehicle was towed from the scene, and the highway was fully reopened at 1 a.m. Monday.
Johnson County Sheriff’s Office booking logs show that the suspect was arrested at 11:59 p.m. and later booked into the adult detention center at 2:33 a.m.
He is being held on a pending charge of aggravated assault. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday afternoon. The Post does not identify suspects until they are formally charged.
No other details were immediately available.
Anyone with information about this investigation can contact the Merriam Police Department at 913-322-5560 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
