KC Man Gets 9 Years for Gun & Wild Police Chase

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kyle K. Kessler, 35, of Kansas City, Missouri, is facing nine years in federal prison after a chaotic high-speed chase and subsequent discovery of an illegal firearm. Kessler was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark today, bringing an end to a case marked by reckless endangerment and disregard for public safety.

The incident unfolded on December 18, 2019, when Kansas City police attempted to stop Kessler, who was driving a stolen Chevrolet 2500 pickup. Kessler immediately floored it, initiating a chase that quickly escalated into a public menace. He ignored flashing lights and barreled through the city, reaching speeds of 80 to 100 miles per hour, according to court documents. The pursuit wasn’t just fast; it was a blatant threat to anyone in the vicinity.

Kessler blew through two stoplights – one at Blue Ridge Cutoff and Sni-A-Bar road, the other at E. 55th Street – and repeatedly veered into oncoming traffic, forcing other drivers to swerve to avoid a collision. He even brazenly sped through a school zone at E. 80th Street and Raytown Road without slowing down. The chase culminated at E. 85th Street and Hickman Mills Road, where Kessler lost control and slammed into a concrete pillar. But even that wasn’t enough to stop him.

With two police vehicles positioned behind the pickup, Kessler put the truck in reverse and *accelerated towards* one of the officers, who was forced to dive out of the way. The truck smashed into the officer’s patrol car, pushing it backward, then continued its rampage into another police vehicle. Only after striking both cars and a guardrail did Kessler finally come to a stop. Even then, he resisted arrest, requiring officers to break his passenger window to pull him from the vehicle and secure him with handcuffs.

During the arrest, officers discovered a loaded Jimenez Arms 9mm semi-automatic pistol in Kessler’s left front jacket pocket. Kessler already had a lengthy criminal record, with 11 prior felony convictions including tampering with a motor vehicle, burglary of a motor vehicle, tampering with an airplane or motor boat, theft, resisting arrest, and fraudulent use of a credit device. Being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm carries significant penalties under federal law, and in Kessler’s case, the judge clearly saw the severity of his actions.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes prosecuted the case, with investigation support from the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice initiative focused on reducing violent crime through targeted enforcement and community partnerships. The program aims to address the root causes of violence and provide lasting solutions, but in Kessler’s case, it’s a harsh sentence for a man who repeatedly put lives at risk.

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