Lawrence man who led downtown chase convicted of fleeing from police and assaulting an officer
photo by: KBI Sex Offender Registry
A Lawrence man who led police on a chase in downtown Lawrence, narrowly missing pedestrians, in the summer of 2021 was convicted on Friday in Douglas County District Court of fleeing from police and assaulting a law enforcement officer.
The man, Nicholas Scott Atwell, 33, was originally charged with aggravated burglary, interference with law enforcement, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and two counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, all of which are felonies. Atwell was also charged with criminal damage to property and transportation of liquor in an open container, both misdemeanors.
As part of a plea agreement, he pleaded no contest on Friday to one felony count of fleeing from law enforcement and one felony count of aggravated assault on a law enforcement agent. The state dismissed the additional charges as part of the agreement. Atwell is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8.
As the Journal-World previously reported, the charges relate to an incident on June 27, 2021, when Lawrence police responded to the Bourgeois Pig, 6 E. Ninth St., around 7 p.m. to a report of two men drinking in a car. When an officer made contact with the car, Atwell, in the driver’s seat, drove away and led police on a chase through the downtown area. Atwell repeatedly swerved at one of the pursuing officers and was reported to have nearly hit a pedestrian at the 11th and Massachusetts intersection. He then almost struck another pedestrian at the Ninth and Vermont intersection, according to a police affidavit.
Atwell then led the pursuit into oncoming traffic on Sixth Street, running a red light and hitting a police vehicle. He eventually reached speeds of 80 mph on Sixth Street, according to the affidavit.
At one point in the area of Seventh and Maine streets, Atwell let the male passenger out of the vehicle, and the male passenger later told police that Atwell was the driver. He said he had asked Atwell to let him out of the vehicle because he feared for his life during the pursuit, according to the affidavit.
Shortly after, Atwell drove south, against one-way traffic, on Kentucky Street before heading back to Massachusetts Street, where he almost struck another pedestrian. He then drove through parts of South Park, then struck another police vehicle, according to the affidavit.
photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World
Around 7:30 p.m., Atwell stopped his vehicle at 10th and New Jersey streets and fled on foot. Officers surrounded that area to search for Atwell, but disbanded the search around 10 p.m. when he couldn’t be found.
Meanwhile, a resident in the area called police around 9:30 p.m. to report a man attempting to force his way into his home through the back door, which leads to a mud room. The man said he yelled at the intruder to stop, and he called 911.
The man told police he did not believe the intruder was able to get into his home and he could not identify him because of a tapestry covering the door’s window. However, about an hour later, the man reported to police that the intruder had just run out of his backdoor. Officers responded to the area, but were still unable to locate Atwell, according to the affidavit.
Atwell was arrested the following day at his home and was held on a $50,000 cash or surety bond.
Atwell was previously convicted of drug charges and attempted rape and is currently on parole, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records.
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