KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A tip made early Tuesday morning to KC Crime Stoppers turned out to be the break authorities needed to arrest a man wanted in connection with the shooting of a Lee's Summit police officer.
Just after 2 a.m. Tuesday, the on-duty officer at the Ellis, Kansas, Police Department received a call from the KC Crime Stoppers office in Kansas City, Missouri, with information regarding the suspect, Thomas Tolbert.
Tolbert, 27, had been on the run since late Sunday night after he allegedly opened fire on a Lee's Summit police officer who had responded to a domestic disturbance call.
Police said the officer's bulletproof vest was vital in his survival.
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By Monday morning, authorities had issued a Blue Alert to expand resources to help track down and arrest Tolbert. The alert was expanded to Kansas later Monday afternoon.
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Tolbert's whereabouts remained unclear until the early Tuesday morning call from Kansas City to Ellis.
After receiving the initial call, Ellis Police Chief Avery Smith said the on-duty officer connected Ellis County Sheriff's Office deputies with KC Crime Stoppers to verify the tip and broadcast the information to area agencies.
VIDEO | Smith spoke with KSHB 41 News reporter Megan Abundis about the arrest. Watch his interview in the video player below.
Smith said around 2:40 a.m., the sheriff's office received more details from witnesses who reported they had given Tolbert a ride, not knowing his connection to the police shooting. The witness allegedly told authorities they noticed Tolbert began acting suspiciously during the trip.
When the group stopped to rest for the night at the Days Inn Hotel in Ellis, the witness said they were on social media when they spotted the Blue Alert for Tolbert and contacted police.
Around 2:45 a.m., area law enforcement gathered to come up with a plan to take Tolbert into custody.
Officers from the KBI, Hays Police Department and Ellis County Sheriff's Office arrived at the hotel and learned Tolbert was staying in Room 309.
After evacuating nearby rooms, police made entry into Tolbert's room around 4:45 a.m. After a brief struggle and taser deployment, Tolbert was taken into custody.
"We were able to get everything pretty much under control and secured by the time most people were making their first cup of coffee," Ellis Police Chief Avery Smith told KSHB 41 News.
He said the operation involved 25 officers from the area.
"As soon as we heard them call out that they had one in custody, it was handshakes all around; it was a great moment," Smith said.
The police chief described the operation as, "simply put, lickety split."
Smith thanked the tipster who provided the crucial information.
"The folks that stepped up and did the right thing, big thank you to them," Smith said. "I know there's potential money involved in them leading to the apprehension of this guy, and I hope they get it. Because talking with them, it would be a life-changing thing for them. It's amazing what doing the right thing can do, for not only you but for your family."
Tolbert was booked into the Ellis County Jail on a warrant for his arrest out of Missouri.
On Monday, the Jackson County, Missouri, Prosecutor's Office charged Tolbert with a slew of felony charges in connection with the late Sunday incident in Lee's Summit.
"We’re very proud of how collaboratively both Missouri and Kansas state and local law enforcement agencies worked together to apprehend this dangerous criminal," a KBI spokesperson told KSHB 41.
The status of Tolbert's extradition back to Missouri wasn't immediately clear Tuesday morning.
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KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. Share your story idea with Megan.