BELTON, Mo. -- A woman who was riding along with a Belton police officer Saturday night saw firsthand how quickly an officer’s shift can go from run of the mill to a manhunt.
Alayna Adamson’s sister won the chance to participate in a ride-along with Belton Police through a Facebook contest. Her sister didn’t want to go, so she gave the prize to Adamson.
Saturday night, the 20-year-old had the ride of her life, witnessing an intense scene that started with a traffic stop.
"I was expecting something to happen, but I wasn't expecting this to happen,” said Adamson.
It was around 7:30 p.m. Saturday that the officer tried to pull over a car for a broken tail light.
As Adamson sat in the cruiser, she watched a series of dramatic events unfold.
"He sped up and turned into one of the driveways and he got out of the car and ran,” said Adamson.
The officer jumped out of the patrol car and chased the suspect, later identified as Isaac Cotton Jr., into a field.
"I heard like three, four or five gunshots,” said Adamson, "I was worried about myself, but I was mainly worried about the officer."
Adamson stayed in the car and watched as other officers arrived to the scene, many of them stopping by to check on her as she sat in the cruiser.
After a lengthy standoff with Cotton, he was taken into custody by police. Charges are pending.
Adamson says she is grateful no one was hurt, especially the officer she had been riding with. She is also happy to hear that Cotton is in custody.
"I'm really glad they got the guy,” said Adamson.
Surprisingly, Adamson says she is considering doing another ride along next week.
