A man allegedly involved in the shootings of three Kansas City police officers was released by mistake, authorities said.
Jae’veon Marquice Mitchell-Locke, 21, faces charges of attempted murder and other crimes, including the distribution and possession of fentanyl, in a case that involved two other men facing similar charges.
Mitchell-Locke was held at the Platte County Jail in Missouri on unrelated charges, for which he was released on April 20, according to KMBC. The jail did not recognize the mistake until the following day, according to Platte County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Major Erik Holland.
“It’s premature for me to say how it occurred or why it occurred, but we are going to look into it and take appropriate action to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” Holland told the outlet. “There are processes in place to prevent somebody that has outstanding warrants or holds from other agencies from being released.”
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An investigation is underway, though the immediate focus was on returning Mitchell-Locke to custody.
“We will take appropriate action once we determine what occurred,” Maj. Holland said. “Our primary focus right now is locating Mr. Locke and getting him back into custody.”
Kansas City, Kansas Chief of Police Karl Oakman emphasized that the department is pursuing custody of the young man and warned anyone with information to contact authorities.
“He is a dangerous individual who needs to be taken off the streets,” Oakman wrote in a statement provided to KCTV. “If anyone encounters him they should assume that he is armed and dangerous and immediately call 911.”
The two other people allegedly involved in the shootings are currently in Wyandotte County Jail. They include Cornell Jones and Samarion Ardel England, who were booked on April 5 and 11, respectively.
The three officers who were shot have been released from the hospital. A team of six law enforcement personnel was involved in the shootout, with three officers shot and two injured by shrapnel.
