KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – The Kansas City Police Department confirms they couldn’t take a suspect to jail because it was “closed.”
Officers tell KCTV5 that a lack of jail space prevented them from arresting a man with multiple warrants.
This stemmed from a situation on Sunday afternoon, around 1 p.m., outside the former Kansas City Star Building.
Carter Taylor said she was walking on McGee St. when a man jumped out from behind some cars parked nearby and started chasing her.
“Telling me I was going to have to go with him, and I waited for the right moment, and I took off sprinting,” Taylor said.
Taylor ran into a nearby store and called 911.
The Kansas City Police Department confirms they couldn’t take a suspect to jail because it was “closed.”(KCTV5/Grace Smith)
“He jumped out from a hiding spot, and I had a feeling that he probably went right back to it, and I was right because that’s where the police officers found him, hiding, like he was going to do it to somebody else,” Taylor said.
KCPD confirms officers responded to the scene and found the suspect. But said there was no criminal offense.
However, during their investigation, they found the suspect had multiple warrants unrelated to this incident, but they couldn’t take him to jail because it was closed.
“The cops told me that they had to let him go, right back where he was, because there was no jail for him,” Taylor said.
KCPD stated that the jail may occasionally close for various reasons, including capacity issues.
KCTV5 asked the Mayor’s office for a response and update on a temporary jail. But was referred to the city spokesperson, who said, “The process continues. There is no major update to share. We are working toward the modular jail.”
The Kansas City Police Department confirms they couldn’t take a suspect to jail because it was “closed.”(KCTV5/Grace Smith)
“I felt my whole body just deflate,” Taylor said. “I was going through my life the way any of us should expect to, which is believing I was safe in a city I live in, and I love to be in.”
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