Northeast News
August 18, 2016
KANSAS CITY, Missouri – An 18-year-old Kansas City man faces charges of Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer in the 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action after an incident in the Northeast last Sunday, August 14 in which he allegedly pointed an AK47 at a police officer.
According to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, three police officers were responding to an incident near the intersection of Monroe and Smart on the morning of August 14 when they all observed a vehicle speeding past their location. Shortly thereafter they all reported hearing a loud crash, which was close enough for them to respond to on foot. As they approached the scene, the officers observed 18-year-old Jose Antolin, the defendant, leaving the scene.
When one officer stepped closer to Antolin, he noticed that defendant was carrying a rifle. He ordered Antolin to drop the weapon, and ended up diving for cover behind a red car after hearing what he thought was Antolin putting a round into the chamber. The officer scraped up his hands while seeking cover.
A civilian witness later told authorities that he saw Antolin raise the AK47 towards the red car after the first officer sought cover. According to the Probable Cause statement, Antolin then dropped the rifle and left the scene on foot. He was apprehended a short time later. After searching the scene, officers recovered the rifle in question. Authorities found a total of 43 rounds between two magazines, but observed that there was no round in the chamber.
After waiving his Miranda rights, Antolin told police that he was riding as the front seat passenger in the vehicle which caused the initial car wreck. He stated that he was sleeping at the time of the crash. While Antolin admitted that he grabbed the gun before exiting the crashed vehicle, he said that he never racked (or chambered) the rifle or pointed it in the direction of law enforcement. He further stated that he panicked, dropped the gun, and ran away.
Prosecutors requested a cash bond of $50,000 in the case.