photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Kendrick Guerrero

An Overland Park man entered a no-contest plea Monday in Douglas County District Court to charges that he fled from police in downtown Lawrence while drunk and carrying a pistol with an extended magazine. The chase ended when the man crashed into a pole.

The man, Kendrick Guerrero, 20, pleaded to one count of felony fleeing from police and misdemeanor counts of DUI and possession of a firearm while under the influence. An additional count of felony fleeing from police was dismissed as part of a plea agreement with the state. The charges relate to an incident around 11 p.m. on April 24, 2022, when Guerrero led police on a car chase through downtown Lawrence across the Kansas River bridge and back again, as the Journal-World reported.

Assistant District Attorney Sam Foster said police began to chase Guerrero after an officer witnessed a black Chevy Camaro “fishtail” onto 11th Street from New Hampshire Street. The officer tried to pull the car over, but Guerrero drove around the block and then onto Massachusetts Street, reaching speeds of nearly 70 mph, and ran multiple red lights before crossing the Kansas River Bridge. Foster said an officer tried to stop Guerrero in North Lawrence but Guerrero evaded the officer by driving through a lawn and heading back south across the bridge.

Foster said that police successfully deployed a spike strip near Sixth and Vermont streets but that Guerrero continued on Vermont Street until he reached the parking lot of the Community Building, 115 W. 11th St., where he entered the parking lot and struck a parked car and a light pole, which stopped the car, allowing police to take Guerrero into custody.

In Guerrero’s car, police found a loaded Glock brand handgun with a 31-round magazine. In the door of the vehicle police found four more loaded magazines.

Guerrero has been free on a $5,000 bond and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16.