Suspect in Kansas City, Kansas police shooting sought after jail releases him by mistake

Bill Lukitsch
·2 min read
2

Federal and local authorities began a manhunt on Friday after a 21-year-old man charged with attempted capital murder of Kansas City, Kansas police officers was mistakenly released from jail across the state line.

The alleged fugitive, Jae’veon M. Mitchell-Locke, was among those injured on April 5 after an undercover fentanyl bust led by Kansas City, Kansas police ended in gunfire. Charges against Mitchell-Locke and two others were announced by Wyandotte County Prosecutor Mark Dupree during a press conference the following day.

Until Thursday evening, Mitchell-Locke had been held in Platte County jail on unrelated warrants. Major Erik Holland of the Platte County Sheriff’s Office said officials were still trying to determine exactly how Mitchell-Locke was mistakenly released.

“There are processes in place to prevent that kind of thing from happening,” Holland said on Friday. “At this stage, I’m not going to speculate on how it occurred until that is completely reviewed. And obviously, our primary focus at this point is locating Mr. Locke and getting him back into custody.”

The daytime shooting on April 5 happened outside of Fast Fred’s Market in Kansas City, Kansas. Customers, including high-schoolers, were inside the market when tactical teams tried to arrest men following an undercover fentanyl buy.

KCKPD officers stand near the scene where three officers were shot on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.
KCKPD officers stand near the scene where three officers were shot on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.

Gunfire was exchanged between tactical officers and the suspected drug traffickers, authorities said. Three officers and three suspects were shot, and all suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

Mitchell-Locke, along with defendants Cornell Lance Jones Jr. and Samarion Ardel England, were charged with several felonies, including aggravated assault against an officer, aggravated child endangerment and fentanyl distribution.

In a statement Friday, Kansas City, Kansas Police Chief Karl Oakman called the unintended release of Mitchell-Locke “unfortunate.”

“He is a dangerous individual who needs to be taken off the streets,” Oakman said, encouraging anyone who encounters him to contact law enforcement.

Authorities were asking that anyone with information concerning Mitchell-Locke’s whereabouts contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS, or if anyone sees him to dial 911.