Prosecutor won’t file charges in May police chase, fatal shooting in Platte County

The Platte County Prosecutor’s Office announced Thursday it will not file charges against law enforcement officers in a May police shooting near Platte City.

Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said officers were justified in their actions against 26-year-old Mekiah Harris, whom they shot and killed after he led police on a high-speed chase and allegedly aimed an unloaded handgun at an officer.

Zahnd said his office made the determination after conducting multiple interviews and reviewing footage, including videos from body cameras and police vehicles.

A cross-county, high-speed chase

About 9 p.m. on May 3, a police officer spotted a black Chevy that matched the description of a vehicle flagged for potential involvement the killing of Michael A. Rehard at a Kansas City, Kansas, bar a week prior.

The license plate on the parked car was connected to several arrest warrants, according to a report from Zahnd’s office.

The officer watched as Harris returned to the vehicle and recognized him as a homicide suspect. His photo had been publicized by law enforcement two days before.

After requesting additional law enforcement units, the officer followed the vehicle to the intersection of 31st Street and Broadway Boulevard, where another officer attempted to deflate Harris’ tires.

Harris then ran a red light, avoided the deflation device and rapidly increased speed. After the vehicle merged onto southbound Broadway Boulevard, police began a 30-minute-long pursuit that involved 25 officers from six different agencies.

Harris exceeded speeds of 100 miles per hour and at times, eventually driving the wrong way down I-435.

The chase came to a head on Southbound I-435 and Northwest 120th Street in Platte County, where Missouri State Highway Patrol deployed a tire deflation device that left the vehicle resting on a shoulder, the report indicated.

The confrontation

After his vehicle came to a halt, Harris exited on foot into the New Bedford Falls housing development, followed by several officers. A police helicopter flew overhead.

According to Zahnd’s office, police believed Harris to be armed during the entire pursuit.

After Harris stopped in the backyard of a residence within the development, officers surrounded him and attempted to de-escalate the situation for 48 minutes, telling him to drop his weapon.

Officers said Harris paced, asked to call his mother, and even held the handgun up to his temple at one point. Multiple officers said they heard Harris ask if they were following him because he “shot that guy.”

Neighborhood residents also said they saw Harris with a handgun, according to prosecutors.

During the standoff, Harris allegedly became emotional before he was shot, according to Broadcastify audio.

“He’s making some last requests again and he’s starting to get emotional — crying, wiping tears away,” an officer advised over the radio. “Looks like he’s getting a little more volatile.”

According to Zahnd, Harris told officers how he wanted to be buried and asked they tell his brother he was sorry. Harris gave officers a timeline until he would shoot, Zahnd said.

Shortly after, an officer advised that the suspect had switched the gun to his other hand.

Footage captured by a police helicopter shows Harris pointing the gun at officers, and then at an armored vehicle, according to the report. At that point, multiple officers fired, killing Harris.

“Shots fired,” an officer then said over the radio. “Shots fire. Suspect down.”

“Did we shoot or did he shoot?” someone else asked.

Missouri law protects officers

While an investigation later revealed that Harris’ gun was not loaded, Zahnd said that officers would not have been able to determine whether the gun was loaded at the time. A loaded magazine was found inside the vehicle.

Calling upon two Missouri use of force laws, Zahnd said his office will not prosecute. He called the situation a “tragedy.”

“Sadly, multiple attempts by law enforcement officers to de-escalate this situation failed,” he said in an email to media Thursday.

“However, Missouri law correctly authorizes law enforcement officers to use deadly force to protect themselves and others from being shot.”

The Star’s Robert A. Cronkleton contributed to the reporting of this story.