Deputies Rescue Toddlers During Stand-off

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office assisted local police officers in a stand-off with an armed and barricaded domestic violence suspect on Monday, October 28, in Pleasant Valley.

26-year-old Tyson S. Campbell

The incident began when Pleasant Valley Police received a call at 6:18 pm about a domestic disturbance in the 7100 block of Fulton Road. They asked for assistance from Claycomo Police officers.

When police got on scene, they spoke with a woman who said her partner had assaulted her and was inside the home with a gun. She had brought some of her children outside the home with her. She was not seriously injured.

The victim told police officers her partner inside, 26-year-old Tyson S. Campbell, had assaulted her, and that he was still inside and armed. He refused to come out.

When deputies arrived, Campbell still refused to exit, and deputies learned twin 1-year-old toddlers remained inside. He also refused to let the children out.

The Special Tactics and Response (STAR) Team and negotiators evacuated nearby townhomes and began communicating with Campbell to bring the incident to a safe conclusion.

After many hours of negotiations, deputies entered the home shortly after midnight. They encountered Campbell armed with a handgun. They were able to wrestle the gun away from him and take him safely into custody. They brought the toddlers to safety with their mother, the original assault victim. Two deputies suffered minor injuries during their encounter with Campbell.

Tyson Campbell has been charged with felony domestic assault. The investigation is ongoing, and more charges could be possible.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Sheriffs, Prosecutors Retirement System up for Vote

There will be a lot of ballot questions for Missouri voters to consider on election day next month. One of them directly impacts the state's sheriffs and prosecutors: Amendment 6.

This is the ballot language: "Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to provide that the administration of justice shall include the levying of costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for certain current and former law enforcement personnel?"

Voting yes supports the resumption of a $3 court fee that was established in state statue in 1983 for the creation of the Missouri Sheriffs’ Retirement System. It is not a tax. It is a court fee for those who are found guilty of a crime in the state of Missouri. Judges can still opt to waive the fee if they determine financial hardship.

This fee was in place from 1983 until 2015, when a lawsuit brought against the Retirement System went to the Missouri Supreme Court. The court ruled sheriffs and prosecutors were not part of the "administration of justice."

Advocates for sheriffs and prosecutors asked state legislators to let voters decide whether the administration of justice includes salary and benefits for sheriffs, prosecutors, and retired sheriffs and prosecutors. That's why the issue is now on the ballot.

If Amendment 6 doesn’t pass, the sheriffs' retirement system is projected to be bankrupt in 9 years, and the prosecutors' system in 15 years.

Clay County Sheriff’s Office submitted story.

Scammers Continue to Pose as Law Enforcement

Phone scammers pretending to be Clay County Sheriff’s Office employees continue to call residents in an attempt to scam them out of their money. Unfortunately, people still fall for the scam.

The Sheriff’s Office says that the most common phone scam they hear about is the one about jury duty. It comes and goes but it is the most frequent version.

“Scammers call residents claiming to be a deputy from our office (sometimes they use the name of real employees they got off our web site) and say you missed jury duty, so now there's a warrant for your arrest,” reads a Sheriff’s Office Facebook post.

Scammers will do whatever they can to keep a potential victim on the phone. They will try to confuse the victim with case numbers, court dates, fines, and payment arrangements.

“They say you can avoid arrest by paying a bond. At first, they'll ask to meet in person, but they are usually not local, so they'll change that to sending them an electronic payment,” states the Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office wants you to know these facts about warrants and jury duty:

* In Missouri, the penalty for missing jury duty is NOT arrest; it's a fine.

* We NEVER call to tell someone there's a warrant for their arrest. We'll make them aware of that in person when we arrest them.

* We do not accept electronic payments. The only way to pay a bond is in cash in the Detention Center lobby.

* Though they usually are not local, scammers often spoof local phone numbers - including ours - to make themselves appear legitimate.

Another variation on this is saying you were an "expert witness" who missed court, and now there is a warrant for your arrest. 

The Sheriff’s Office recommends hanging up on the scammer if you get one of these calls.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Two Dead in Excelsior Springs House Explosion

***UPDATE 08/26/24***

The deceased victims in this incident have been identified as 70-year-old Oliver W. Campbell and 65-year-old Katherine A. Campbell. Both lived at the house at 14406 Kimberly Dr.

The Sheriff’s Office recieved notification from the Missouri State Fire Marshall about the explosion that stated, “Because of the force of the explosion and extent of structural damage, no cause could be identified as to the source of the gas leak or the ignition source. The Missouri Division of Fire Safety classified the explosion as undetermined.”

***

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office located two bodies in the rubble of a home that exploded in the early morning hours of Friday, August 23, in rural Excelsior Springs. Investigators believe they have recovered the bodies of the residents of the home.

The blast could be felt and seen for many miles and blew open the doors of neighbors’ houses.

The Sheriff’s Office started receiving calls at 4:42 am, about a house that exploded in the 14400 block of Kimberly Drive. When deputies arrived on scene, they found the house was completely destroyed, and a fire was burning. The blast could be felt and seen for many miles and blew open the doors of neighbors’ houses.

Investigators have found no evidence of foul play. The Missouri State Fire Marshall’s Office is working to determine the cause of the explosion. Representatives from the Missouri Propane Safety Commission were also on scene.

No neighbors were hurt, though some reported damage to their homes.

The Medical Examiner responded to the scene, and the Sheriff’s Office will share the names of the deceased once their identities have been confirmed and next-of-kin notification is complete.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Sheriff’s Office Seizes Large Amount of Fentanyl

Clay County Sheriff’s deputies seized enough fentanyl during an arrest last week to kill 327,000 people.

Josiah J. Langston - CLay County Sheriff’s Office Photo

They located and arrested 21-year-old Josiah J. Langston the afternoon of Aug. 15 in the 3900 block of N. Skiles Avenue. They were looking for Langston due to a prior warrant he had for drug trafficking. When deputies approached him, he rammed a patrol car, but he was unable to flee. No one was hurt, and deputies took him into custody.

Inside Langston’s vehicle, investigators located 1.5 pounds of powdered fentanyl, and 0.4 pounds of methamphetamine. They also found $2,000 in cash. Just two milligrams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose, meaning the amount of fentanyl seized could have killed nearly two-thirds of the population of Kansas City, Mo.

Langston has been charged with two counts of first-degree drug trafficking and one count of resisting arrest. This is in addition to his prior drug trafficking charge. He is now in the Clay County Detention Center on a $450,000 bond. Investigation is continuing, and more charges – including federal charges – are possible.

This arrest and seizure were a joint operation conducted by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office’s Drug Task Force and Special Operations Squad.  

Brian Watts contributed to this story.