Feb. 24, 2019
Three KC men have been charged in connection with shots that were fired Saturday afternoon at the memorial service for a KC homicide victim, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.
Gary P. Jones Jr., dob: 12/12/1996, faces charges of Resisting a Lawful Stop*, while Gerrad D. Rivera-Willis, dob: 12/11/1999, faces Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Resisting Arrest*, and Zion Owsley, dob: 10/24/1998, faces Receiving Stolen Property and Resisting Arrest.*
According to court documents filed today, police were doing surveillance Saturday afternoon at the time of a memorial service at Graceway Chruch on Blue Ridge Cutoff when they heard multiple gunshots and observed a Nissan Altima driving at high rate of speed on East 55th.
They pursued the vehicle, which did not stop, ignored traffic signals and exceeded the speed limits, reaching 75- to 90-mph before it was involved in a hit-and-run collision. Jones was the driver and after the vehicle stopped, he exited and ran. Jones told police he left the funeral and stopped his vehicle in the parking lot when he heard gunshots. Then someone in his vehicle fired a weapon. Rivera-Willis told police he thought someone in another vehicle might fire a gun at him, although he didn’t see a weapon. So he fired two or three shots. Owsley also left the vehicle that Jones was driving. Officers found him trying to conceal a weapon in a bush. The gun, police found, was stolen from Overland Park.
Prosecutors requested bonds of $30,000 for Rivera-Willis and $5000 for Jones and Owsley.
*Charges are only accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until the defendant is either found guilty or has pleaded.
