Police: Man charged in officer shooting was on way to Colorado, arrested at hotel after witness tip

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A Kansas police department released additional details regarding the arrest of a man on the run after he was charged with shooting a police officer.

Thomas Tolbert, 27, was arrested about 300 miles away from the shooting site, taken into custody in Ellis, Kansas.

He was accused of shooting a Lee’s Summit police officer during a domestic disturbance call at the Residences at Echelon apartment complex.

No shots were fired by the officer, but the officer was reportedly struck multiple times. The officer was transported to an area trauma center with serious injuries that are not expected to be life-threatening.

The Ellis Police Department reported that dispatch received information via the CrimeStoppers tipline just after 2 a.m. that Tolbert was staying at the Days Inn in the 200 block of Washington Street.

Dispatchers also learned from witnesses who gave a ride to Tolbert from Kansas City, Missouri, and who were en route to Colorado. Witnesses told law enforcement that Tolbert had used “a false name and began acting suspiciously during the trip.” After they stopped at the hotel for the night, one of the witnesses saw the Blue Alert issued and recognized Tolbert’s face, according to Ellis police.

The Ellis Police Department, with the help of the Hays Police Department and KBI, began to evacuate hotel rooms after 4:30 a.m. After learning of Tolbert’s room, they encountered him, had “a brief struggle and taser deployment,” and then took him into custody, Ellis police stated.

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