According to the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect believed to have stolen a Ford pickup from a homestead east of Levant on Thursday allegedly stole a second vehicle in Colby before a pursuit in Decatur County.
The pickup was spotted Friday in Atwood and law enforcement was contacted. A pursuit began in Decatur County involving the Decautr County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol, ending when the suspect crashed the pickup before fleeing on foot. The suspect — identified in a social media posting as RJ Phifer — was then apprehended at approximately 11 a.m. Friday by the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office.
Phifer has a previous conviction for aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.