Pruitt, House Charged in Gun Case After Police Chase Crash

Curlie Pruitt, III, 36, and Roy L. House, 38, are behind bars after a violent police chase ended with a head-on collision in a Quik Trip parking lot — and a loaded .45-caliber handgun uncovered at the scene. The two men were charged today in federal court in Kansas City, Mo., with being felons in possession of a firearm, following a high-speed attempt to evade law enforcement.

The trouble started the evening of Dec. 20, 2016, when staff at the Super 8 Hotel in Independence, 4031 S. Lynn Court Drive, flagged police about two men acting suspiciously. Those men were later identified as Pruitt and House. Though they left the premises, they returned around 9:05 p.m., raising further red flags. Officers arrived to find the pair in a blue Ford 500, already pulling away — and driving fast.

When an officer activated emergency lights to initiate a stop, Pruitt, behind the wheel, slammed the accelerator. He tore through the Quik Trip parking lot at 4024 S. Noland Road, ignoring all warnings. Then came the crash: Pruitt’s vehicle plowed head-on into a responding patrol car. The impact was brutal, leaving both vehicles disabled and emergency crews scrambling to contain the scene.

Pruitt tried to bolt, but a third police unit pinned his door shut, trapping him inside. House remained in the passenger seat. Both were arrested on the spot. Officers discovered a loaded American Tactical .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun on the floorboard near the front passenger seat — a weapon felons are strictly forbidden to possess under federal law.

Pruitt has prior felony convictions for assault and robbery, plus a federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm — a crime for which he already served three years and one month in prison. House brings an even more violent record: convictions for assault, robbery, and a federal carjacking charge that landed him 11 years and five months behind bars. He’s currently on supervised release for that offense.

Investigators also link Pruitt and House to a string of armed robberies across the region: the Road Star Gas Station in Independence on Dec. 11, 2016; Beeline Mini-Mart in Excelsior Springs on Dec. 15; and the Discount Smoke Shop in Kansas City on Dec. 18. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades, with investigation led by the Independence Police Department and ATF. U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson emphasized the complaint is an accusation — guilt must be proven before a jury.