As Emporia Police investigators pore through Saturday’s apparent robbery and vehicle theft that led to the deaths of two Arizona residents in Osage County, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office is reviewing the pursuit that stretched from near Neosho Rapids to Melvern.
Undersheriff John Koelsch tells KVOE News the department reviews all pursuits, including why the chase developed, the circumstances involved and the actions of the law enforcement officers involved. That includes reviews of dashboard cameras and body cameras.
The chase began after a deputy tried to make a car stop on Interstate 35 near the Hartford-Neosho Rapids exit. When the driver, 23-year-old Sharnicca Cannon of Tucson, failed to stop, a chase began that ultimately involved sheriff’s departments from Lyon, Coffey and Osage counties and the Kansas Highway Patrol. Cannon tried to get off the Interstate at the Melvern exit but apparently missed the turn. Her car rolled, killing her and her passenger, 20-year-old Anthony Krawczyk of Mesa.
Koelsch says the review is part of the active investigation, but early indications are the deputy involved in the pursuit handled the chase properly.
Authorities didn’t learn the vehicle was stolen during a robbery in Emporia until the pursuit was underway. Details on that aspect of Saturday’s incident should be released this week by Emporia Police. Koelsch says the chain of events in Emporia increased law enforcement concerns about suspect behavior on the road as well as the safety of other drivers.
Fatality crashes at the end of certain pursuits, including the one Saturday, prompt some residents to call for other measures for tracking down suspects, including helicopters. Koelsch says that is cost-prohibitive for Lyon County, and even larger cities don’t have helicopters because of the costs involved. The KHP helicopter is based in Salina, and under most circumstances would arrive far too late to be of any help in a chase situation.
