Release from Kansas Highway Patrol at 12:00am
Tuesday morning, a bank in Chase, Kansas (Rice County) was robbed.
Tuesday evening, a trooper was in Saline County, when he located a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle involved in the armed robbery.
The vehicle would not stop, and the trooper began pursuing it at 6:25 p.m. on K-4 Highway from Ohio, south of the city of Salina.
The vehicle later crashed on Assaria Road, 1-1/2 miles east of Gypsum Valley Road, south of the town of Gypsum.
When the vehicle crashed, gunfire was exchanged between the suspect and the trooper. The suspect fled on foot.
The Kansas Highway Patrol and local agencies searched the area for the suspect.
The Patrol had aircraft, K9 units, the Special Response Team, and ground units all working in the search.
The suspect was subsequently taken into custody without further incident.
The State Trooper, a woman and child were injured in the incident.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation will investigate the shooting, as is routine with an agency-involved shooting.
UPDATE 9:59 PM: Area near Gypsum Valley Rd & Assaria Road to remain blocked off for investigation.
UPDATE 9:26 PM: KHP has suspect in custody
UPDATE 9:23 PM: Report that KHP has located suspect.
UPDATE 9:11 PM: Last hit from K-9 units near Hobbs Creek Rd.
UPDATE 9:09 PM: Authorities allowing those locked down at Southeast of Saline school to leave. Advising they will not be allowed to head south.
UPDATE 9:03 PM: Authorities searching abandoned property near E. Rose Hill Rd and Gypsum Valley Rd.
UPDATE 8:53 PM: Multiple K-9 units searching creek beds in the area.
UPDATE 8:41 PM: Search moving south towards E. Rose Hill Rd. Nearing McPherson County line.
UPDATE 8:37 PM: 30-year-old female that was wounded in shootout and at least 2 children are believed to have been riding in the vehicle with the suspect.
UPDATE 8:26 PM: Aircraft with infrared cameras being brought in to aid search.
UPDATE 8:17 PM: Southeast of Saline school is on lockdown.
UPDATE 8:09 PM: Search moving further south towards Hobbs Creek.
UPDATE 7:56 PM: Suspect possibly inside garage in 8900 block of E. Lapsley Road.
UPDATE 7:44 PM: Law enforcement requesting EMT standby.
UPDATE 7:43 PM: Possible sighting of suspect reported near 8928 Lapsley Road.
UPDATE 7:38 PM: Suspect believed to be man involved in armed robbery of bank in Chase, KS this morning.
UPDATE 7:37 PM: Search expands to Gypsum Valley Road and Kipp Road. Assaria and Gypsum reportedly on lockdown.
UPDATE 7:14 PM: 30-year-old was shot in the leg. 11-year-old believed to have been shot in the face.
UPDATE 7:11 PM: Shouldn’t need to be said, but stay away from the area.
UPDATE 7:09 PM: Suspect is black male wearing dark clothing and sunglasses.
UPDATE 7:03 PM: Helicopter arriving at the scene to transport wounded.
UPDATE 6:58 PM: Dickinson Co., Saline Co., and KHP still searching for suspect.
ORIGINAL 6:43 PM: Shortly after 6:20 pm, KHP and Saline County Sheriff’s deputies became involved in a chase with an armed robbery suspect near S. Holmes Road and Assaria Road. The chase continued to near Gypsum Valley Road and Assaria Road where the suspect left the vehicle and exchanged gunfire with law enforcement.
Two injuries have been reported. One of the injured has been confirmed to be a KHP Trooper.
The suspect, a black male, fled the area on foot about 1 1/2 miles east of that intersection. Air support and K-9 units have been dispatched to the area.
We will update this story as more information is released.