On Friday, April 25, 2025 at 2:45PM, Belton Officers were dispatched to Academy Sports (510 E Markey Pkwy) on suspicious activity. The caller advised that two males arrived in the parking lot in a grey SUV with a badly shattered windshield and entered the store with head coverings.
Officers arrived just minutes later and located the vehicle in the parking lot. As officers were running the (stolen) plate on the vehicle, a female exited the back seat and attempted to enter the store as well. That female was detained for investigation. Officers were able to run the VIN on the vehicle and determined it to be stolen out of Lee's Summit. Later, an inventory of this vehicle revealed drug paraphernalia, a firearm, 7 phones, a laptop and a computer tablet.
At this time, the two males exited the store and began walking west away from the officers. They were given commands to stop but initially ignored the officers. They eventually stopped near some bushes, turned around and were taken into custody without incident. A witness informed officers that one of the males dropped a small, black item in the bushes before complying with instructions to stop and turn around. This item was determined to be a firearm.
Both males were placed on 24-hour investigative holds pending charges.
On Saturday, April 26, 2025, the Cass County Prosecutor's Office charged Derrick Colston of Kansas City, Missouri with 1st Degree Tampering with a Motor Vehicle (NO BOND) and Fugitive From Out of State (Bond $10,000). Samuel Bates of Independence, Missouri was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm (NO BOND).
The Belton Police Chief states, "This is yet another example of the partnership of alert citizens in our community, quick and thorough actions of your officers and the support of our Prosecutor's Office results in removing dangerous criminals from our streets."
