Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
Crashed into Another Vehicle, Drove into Oncoming Traffic on I-70 During Two Police Chases
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who led police officers on two high-speed chases a month apart, causing a serious collision during one pursuit and driving the wrong way on Interstate 70 during another, has been convicted at trial of drug trafficking and illegally possessing firearms.
Davon R. Williams, 31, was found guilty on Thursday, Jan. 16, of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana.
Williams also was found guilty of one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, all in relation to his arrest on Feb. 23, 2022.
Williams was also was found guilty of one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, all in relation to his arrest on March 26, 2022.
Nine co-defendants already have pleaded guilty in this case.
On Feb. 23, 2022, Kansas City police officers attempted to stop Williams, who was driving a black Kia K5 rental car. Williams, who had fled from officers the day before, again fled from officers at a high rate of speed. Williams sped through an intersection while failing to stop for a red light and collided with another vehicle, seriously injuring the other motorist. Williams, who was arrested and searched by officers, was in possession of cocaine, crack cocaine, 177 pills, and $1,900 in cash. Officers later searched the Kia and found a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, $2,030 in cash, and a backpack that contained methamphetamine, marijuana, mushrooms, tar (methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl) and pills.
On March 26, 2022, Independence, Mo., police officers saw an orange Hyundai that had been reported as stolen parked on the west side of Hometown Studios hotel in Independence. An officer placed a portable tire deflation device underneath the front passenger tire of the Hyundai to deflate the tire if someone attempted to leave in the vehicle. Officers kept the vehicle under surveillance until Williams got into the driver’s seat and a woman (who is not charged in this case) got into the front passenger’s seat. Williams was carrying a black zip bag and a white trash bag in one hand while shouldering a black backpack. Police officers attempted to box in the Hyundai with their patrol cars, but Williams was able to flee from officers and circle around the parking lot, maneuvering through multiple parked vehicles as well as the police vehicles attempting to block him in. Williams made it to 42nd Street, where he began accelerating as police officers pursued him. Williams traveled to Noland Road before going onto the ramp to I-70, traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-70.
Due to the substantial public safety risk by Williams entering into oncoming traffic, officers terminated their pursuit. An officer saw the Hyundai farther down the interstate, in the grass, with Williams and the woman running from the vehicle. Williams was carrying a black backpack. The woman was caught and taken into custody.
Williams was found walking westbound next to U.S. 40 Highway and began running from officers. An Independence police sergeant deployed his Taser, which struck Williams in the left elbow, and Williams continued to run and jumped the guard rail under the Blue Ridge Boulevard bridge on the south side of U.S. 40 Highway. The police sergeant jumped the guard rail and grabbed Williams, who was trying to jump back on the highway. They struggled and Williams was taken into custody.
Officers searched Williams, who had $7,581 and .9 grams of crack cocaine in his pants pockets. The backpack, which was located nearby, contained an SAR Arms 9mm firearm, 314 grams of marijuana, 92.4 grams of cocaine, 4.6 grams of powder cocaine, a plastic sandwich bag with five pills, and a sandwich bag that contained multiple sandwich bags with various pills. On the ground next to the backpack was a loaded FNH 9mm handgun.
Officers searched the stolen Hyundai, which had severe damage, including airbag deployment. Officers found an AR-15 style rifle with no serial number in the back seat, loaded with 27 rounds of 5.56 ammunition and an additional round chambered. A black duffle bag, also in the back seat, contained a freezer bag with 1.022 kilograms of methamphetamine, a freezer bag with 1.027 kilograms of methamphetamine, a freezer bag with 111 grams of methamphetamine, a freezer bag with 170 grams of methamphetamine, and six sandwich bags that each contained between 26 and 29 grams of marijuana. A large white trash bag that contained three bags with a total of 1.238 kilograms of marijuana was also in the back seat.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Williams has a prior felony conviction for possessing methamphetamine and marijuana with the intent to distribute and a prior felony conviction for possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute.
Under federal statutes, Williams is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately two hours before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Monday, Jan. 13.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh A. Ragner and Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Kansas City, Kan., Violent Crime Task Force, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.