KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Jackson County grand jury indicted a man after he damaged street art with tire burnouts in the Waldo neighborhood and, in a separate incident, fled in his car from a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper at speeds over 100 mph.
Zachary Talley Jr., of Blue Springs, is accused of aggravated fleeing a stop or detention, first-degree property damage and operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner — stunt driving.
A KSHB 41 News story after the street art was damaged stated an illegal sideshow on Nov. 1, 2025, tarnished some of the visual upgrades that were part of an 18-month, $14 million project at W. 75th Street and Wornall Road.
Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas was among several leaders who gathered at the intersection on Oct. 16, 2025, to celebrate the completion of the renovation project at the heart of Waldo.
A spokesperson for Lucas provided a statement to KSHB 41 News on the illegal sideshow after the incident.
"Sideshows are dangerous to spectators and bystanders and are a blight on our community," Lucas said in his statement. "KCPD will investigate this weekend's incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. We are proud of our city's millions in water and road resurfacing infrastructure investment through Waldo and will ensure the cosmetic improvements are maintained as well."
Talley is also charged in a sideshow incident on Nov. 1 in which vehicles allegedly blocked the off-ramps to Interstate 35 at Front Street and cars blocked the intersection under the Bond Bridge, according to a court document.
A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper spotted a black Dodge Challenger with its license plate covered running the steady red light for the northbound exit ramp to Front Street from I-35.
The trooper, in a marked vehicle, turned on his emergency lights and sirens as he attempted to get behind the Dodge Challenger.
The car sped onto southbound I-35, and as the trooper and the fleeing car approached the I-35/I-70 split, the Challenger hit 90 mph.
Speeds reached 120 mph as the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department's helicopter began to follow the Challenger.
The trooper stated in the court document he shut down his emergency lights and sirens as the Dodge sped down U.S. 71 Highway at over 100 mph.
The car got off U.S. 71 Highway at East 63rd Street in KCMO and continued to speed through neighborhoods at over 100 mph.
The car hit a tire deflation device put down by a KCPD officer just after 11 p.m.
Talley and another man got out of the car and were quickly arrested.
He admitted to law officers he had been driving the Dodge Challenger.
Investigators found evidence on Instagram that Talley had been involved in sideshows for months.
The court document states, "This is not a one-time mistake."
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