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Suspect in KCK cop's death faces open meth case

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Tonganoxie police executed a search warrant at a home on Village Street in March involving shooting suspect Curtis Ayers.

Investigators found needles and residue they suspect may be methamphetamines.

The evidence was turned over to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Test results are pending.

Ayers is now accused of fatally shooting KCK Police Detective Brad Lancaster on Monday.

"I'm surprised that he shot somebody," said Talette Ford.

Ford is the owner of Talette's Cafe in Tonganoxie where she says Ayers was a past repeat customer who never caused a problem.

But Ford and customer Keith Quarles say Ayers was rumored to be involved in drugs and theft.

Quarles offered a strong opinion about Ayers' state of mind during Monday's shooting.

"You bet he was on drugs, ain't no lying about that, nobody in their right mind does what he did and that's  a fact," Quarles said.

Neighbors tell the 41 Action News Investigators Ayers' mother lives in the Village Street home where the search warrant was executed. They sayid she takes care of Curtis' two young sons.

She made it clear she didn't want to speak to the 41 Action News Investigators or any other uninvited guest, stating she had children to worry about.

A 'no trespassing' sign on the property reads, "Whoever Tongie informants are for the week, do not enter, nor the PD, all included."

"I think it's horrible because the kids will have no dad and he should spend the rest of his life in jail for killing somebody," said Ford.

An eyewitness to Monday's shooting who did not wish to be identified tells the 41 Action News Investigators Ayers reportedly stole a car from the Hollywood Casino in KCK and police were quickly informed.

The eyewitness says when police blocked Ayers exit, he drove the stolen car across a field where Lancaster rammed into him with his vehicle and stopped Ayers.

When Lancaster stepped out of his vehicle, the eyewitness says Ayers opened fire. The eyewitness says Ayers then took off and crashed through a security gate on his way to Missouri where he was ultimately shot.

He faces multiple charges in Jackson County. Charges in Wyandotte County are pending.

Near that shooting scene there were still visible tire marks Tuesday from an emergency responder's vehicle. And not far from that scene, there's a monument with a cross with Lancaster's badge number, flowers and a sign reading "KCKFD stands with KCKPD."

Tonganoxie Chief Keith Brandau says Ayers was not arrested after the search warrant was executed at his mother's home because Ayers was not there.

Brandau says he later learned Ayers was in Topeka.

He says if the lab results confirm meth, the case will move forward. But he says the county attorney will ultimately determine if the case is prosecuted or not.

As the 41 Action News Investigators first reported Monday, the 28-year-old Ayers has a long criminal history dating back to his teen years in North Carolina, but none of that previous history included violence.

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Andy Alcock can be reached at anderson.alcock@kshb.com.

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