Author: KMIZ

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man was charged on Tuesday after he allegedly led law enforcement on a chase throughout Columbia.

Kyshawn Harris, 19, of Columbia, was charged with aggravated fleeing. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond, though a mugshot was not immediately available. A court date has not been set. A social media post from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office also says a 17-year-old and 16-year-old were also detained by law enforcement.

The probable cause statement says Flock cameras detected plates from a stolen vehicle around 5 a.m. Tuesday. The vehicle was heading north on Range Line Street near Interstate 70. A Boone County deputy turned on his vehicle’s lights to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver sped away, the statement says.

Court documents say the chase took place all over the city and included the driver going into the wrong lane and driving through intersections with stop signs.

The chase ended after Harris drove through the backyard of an apartment complex and stopped between two buildings, the statement says. He allegedly admitted to driving the vehicle but claimed he didn’t know the vehicle was stolen, according to court documents.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Each of Missouri’s U.S. senators is asking the Trump administration to make Fort Leonard Wood in Pulaski County an ICE training center.

Sen. Josh Hawley sent a letter last week to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem highlighting the fort as a potential training spot for immigration agents.

“To facilitate the swift and effective training of these officers, I wanted to note the potential benefits of utilizing Fort Leonard Wood, a major Army installation in my state,” Hawley wrote. “Fort Leonard Wood is currently a critical hub for military law enforcement training — housing both the U.S. Army Military Police School (USAMPS) and the Marine Corps Police Academy (MCPA) — and has a long history of supporting other federal law enforcement training efforts. The installation is able to accommodate sudden surges in its on-base population, and it currently has extra capacity to host additional missions due to the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI).

“Put simply, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri has the infrastructure, experience, and space to support the rapid expansion of ICE’s critical immigration enforcement workforce. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Sen. Eric Schmitt followed up with his own comments on Tuesday during a Senate hearing.

Hawley letter to NoemDownload

“It’s well-positioned after the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ was passed, and we’ve got these resources out there for border enforcement, to help train ICE agents,” Schmitt said in the hearing.

Fort Leonard Wood was founded in 1941 and named after a former Army chief of staff. The base includes 5,400 active duty members and more than 12,000 of their family members, according to a U.S. military website.

ICE has expanded its role in detaining illegal immigrants for deportation under the Trump administration, including lucrative bonuses for new recruits.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County Joint Communications will begin integrating a new radio system across all of its agencies with the goal of improving cross communication when responding.

“So all public safety, for our partners, will be available to be a part of the system,” BCJC Director Christie Davis said. “So that includes the Sheriff’s Office, Columbia Police Department, Columbia Fire, Boone County Fire, Southern Boone County fire, Ashland police department, Centralia police department, Hallsville, MU will also be coming over to our system.”

CFD Chief Brian Schaeffer said his department is the second busiest user of the communications system. He shared his support for the new system and explained how it will help modernize the response of Boone County agencies.

“We’re actually taking what is, really a 1940s radio system that we have currently and bringing it into the 2000s and 2025,” Schaeffer said.

Davis said the new 800MHz P25 trunk system was first recommended around 10 years ago. BCJC agencies currently use a VHF legacy radio system.

“We had a consultant who worked a lot on getting a lot of the backhaul in place for our system,” Davis said. “Which has really helped us get to the point where we are today to get the integration for the actual core of the system in place within the next year or so.”

The new system will be funded by revenue from the Boone County 911 Emergency Service Sales Tax approved in 2013.

“The current system that we just assigned a contract for was for approximately $7 million and then there will be some additional cost after that for the radios for the public safety responders,” Davis said.

She described how first responders will see a difference.

“Especially sometimes in the larger buildings, because with the VHF system currently you had some problems not being able to communicate even inside of the building to the individuals that are directly out on the street,” Davis said.

Schaeffer said the difference comes from the different radio wavelengths. The current VHF system uses a long wavelength, whereas the new system has a much shorter wavelength carrying messages along the channel.

“When that long waveform tries to make its way through concrete or steel, if it doesn’t make its way 100%, then it doesn’t go through. The shorter wavelengths do go through very, very easily,” Schaeffer said.

Schaffer detailed some of the obstacles the current system caused for the department.

“So concrete, metal, ordinary construction we couldn’t use our radios in those situations and couldn’t use the radios any time we were sub terrain. So the first layer of a basement or the second layer of a basement,” Schaeffer said.

Schaeffer said communication issues posed a safety threat to firefighters. So last October, the department moved its communication to the state system for buildings with infrastructure that would block their signal.

“We will be able to leave our network and be able to go into the state’s network and operate without changing the physical radio, which is a cost savings for the taxpayer because we’re not having to buy multiple radios. One multi-band radio can remain on both networks and operate independently on the same radio,” Schaeffer said.

According to Davis, the full integration across all agencies won’t be immediate.

“They will have to procure all of the equipment and get it staged and get it prepared to get installed into our tower sites,” Davis said. “What we’ll have initially is an overlay for the 800 system as well as the VHF. So that will allow our partners a little more time to get transition completely over to the 800 system.”

However, during the transition Boone County first responders will begin to see immediate impacts to their communication capabilities.

“Whether they’re on the 800 or VHF, they’ll still be able to communicate with each other until everybody’s completely transitioned,” Davis said. “Especially if they are already on the 800 system, because they will have more direct, clear communication, especially when they’re inside of those buildings.”

Davis said full integration will completed by January of 2027, but hope to finish it earlier by mid 2026. Davis added the new system will help prepare Boone County for the next 15-20 years.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said during a news conference Tuesday that he will seek the death penalty against Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old from Utah accused of killing Charlie Kirk with a single shot from a high-powered rifle.

Charges include aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and committing a violent offense in front of children.

Gray said during the news conference that authorities believe Robinson hid a rifle in his pants as he made his way to the spot he picked for a sniper’s nest. Gray also shared a text exchange between Robinson and Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner in which Robinson reportedly confessed.

Robinson’s first court appearance took place a few hours later.

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Matthew Sanders

Editor’s note: Language in this article have been clarified.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A St. James man was charged Tuesday with child endangerment in a 2022 incident in a backyard swimming pool.

The Phelps County prosecutor charged Carl E. Swanson on Tuesday with a single count of child endangerment resulting in serious injuries, a Class B felony. An arrest warrant had not been posted in online court records on Tuesday morning.

The near-drowning of the 2-year-old boy took place Oct. 16, 2022, at 55 Jana Lane in St. James, according to a probable cause statement. Several people inside the home reportedly told investigators that they thought the child was with someone else.

Swanson found the boy in the swimming pool, and he was unresponsive, the statement says. He was flown to a St. Louis hospital and later died of complications on July 10, 2024.

The investigation was reopened on Monday after a woman who was in the house the day of the drowning told police that she and Swanson were in a bedroom having sex when the child died, according to a probable cause statement. Swanson got dressed and played video games afterward, the witness allegedly told investigators.

About 30 minutes passed between when the boy was last seen and when he was found in the swimming pool, the statement claims.

No hearings have been set.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The 3-0 Missouri Tigers are getting ready to host South Carolina on Faurot Field on Saturday.

The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Coach Eli Drinkwitz and key players took questions from reporters on Tuesday afternoon.

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Marie Moyer

EDITOR’S NOTE: The date of an altercation involving a club member has been corrected.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, representing Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine, argued against University of Missouri President Mun Choi’s decision to bar the group from the 2025 homecoming parade in federal court in Kansas City on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s hearing was a part of CAIR’s larger suit against the university for its initial ban of the group during the 2024 homecoming parade, claiming the decision was made because of safety concerns on campus.

The university told ABC 17 News that the group was unable to participate for a second straight year on Friday, again citing safety concerns. The university also updated homecoming participant rules, making this year’s theme “Celebrating Black and Gold.”

According to the policy, the purposes of the parade are to: 

Celebrate MU’s traditions and accomplishments

Cultivate alumni connections

Honor university-selected achievements of MU students, personnel and alumni

Rally support and enthusiasm for the Homecoming football game

The policy also reads: 

“It is not an open forum for expression on topics identified by participants, but rather is limited to expression on topics identified by the University for the purposes noted above. The University provides ample other opportunities for participants to express themselves on topics of interest to them.” 

During the hearing, former MSJP President Isleen Atallah, Mizzou Alumni Association Executive Director Todd McCubbin and Choi testified about the history of homecoming at the University and MSJP’s 2025 application and rejection.

The university claimed the decision to reject MSJP’s participation from the parade was a safety precaution after news of disruptions from other Students for Justice in Palestine groups in other campuses across the nation. The school also mentioned in August that a senior leader from MSJP was showing “concerning actions” on campus around homecoming last year and was trespassed on campus for verbal abuse and stalking following homecoming.

It was revealed in court that the senior leader mentioned was Atallah, who was trespassed from the school after an altercation in March 2025, after Atallah followed another student for several minutes while recording them after the student allegedly insulted and made racist comments at her. Choi voiced concern that with Atallah still having a presence in MSJP, the group could be a safety risk if put in another politically charged scenario.

CAIR argued that the actions of one student should not reflect on the whole organization. During her testimony, Atallah verified that MSJP hosted more than 80 events in 2024 with no violence or complaints from other students that resulted in disciplinary action for the group. CAIR notes that Atallah will be out of state during homecoming due to a prior commitment.

According to court documents, for 2025, MSJP planned to have a similar float that was initially approved by the 2024 Parade Committee and the Mizzou Alumni Association, with a traditional Palestinian dance performance and participants giving Palestinian candy to the crowd. They also planned to have two banners that say “Ceasefire Now” and “Stop the Genocide.”

“MSJP is open to amending its application in response to any reasonable requests from [the Office ofAlumni Engagement],” according to court documents.

The University argued that MSJP’s 2025 float does not follow the updated homecoming policy, adding that several groups that made the cut last year, like the College Republicans and Democrats, and people running for office were unable to participate this year. They add that any floats that have political messaging in signs or banners would be required to take them down or not participate.

CAIR argues that MSJP’s plans follow the 2025 homecoming guidelines, paying homage to the University of Missouri’s diversity and history of students in activism. CAIR also added that people in public office, including Columbia’s Mayor Barbara Buffaloe and Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO), were approved to be in the parade, arguing that their presence can be perceived as political.

CAIR also argued that the university’s new homecoming policy was inconsistent with several for-profit companies being approved as commercial groups in the parade. Under the new policy, all commercial companies must be nonprofit. McCubbin claimed during his testimony that the report was an error and the groups should have been categorized differently.

CAIR’s argument for MSJP’s participation also hinges on how the court defines the parade: Whether it’s government speech, which the school can tightly control, or a limited public forum, where officials can set some rules but can’t discriminate against certain viewpoints.

“I think that everything that the court needs to decide should be before it,” Ahmad Kaki staff attorney at CAIR National said. “We presented evidence from our side, we think that the evidence is pretty clear that SJP is being targeted because they want to advocate on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza.”

CAIR claims the parade is a limited public forum with the university opening the parade space to private businesses and sponsored speakers who may use the time to advertise. The University claims they have government speech, which means they have the right to control what’s presented.

Judge Stephen Bough did not make a decision on the matter Tuesday. However, he requested the university’s attorneys to find a stronger case to support their claim of government speech and to sort out the for-profit and non-profit commercial groups participating.

“If you are not following your policy, that answers it for you,” Bough said.

The hearing is set to pick up again on Wednesday at 8 a.m. Kaki does not expect a decision to be made on whether MSJP will be allowed to join the 2025 parade the same day.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man accused of murdering the mother of his child no longer wishes to represent himself in his criminal trial, he told a judge Tuesday.

Sergio Sayles, 39, is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with evidence and first-degree stalking in the 2023 death of Jasmine King.

Police found King dead from stab wounds to her head, face, neck, torso and back in her home in the 300 block of West Ashley Street in April 2023, according to previous reporting.

Sayles was in a Cole County courtroom Tuesday morning and told Judge Brouck Jacobs that he no longer wishes to represent himself.

Sayles filed a notice of change of counsel earlier this month and wrote that he would defend himself, according to online court records. The motion also stated that he wanted to change the trial back to a jury trial. In April, Sayles’ counsel sought a bench trial in exchange for the state to drop its pursuit of the death penalty.

Now that Sayles has pulled his request to defend himself, he will keep his defense lawyer, and the bench trial will continue as planned.

In Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutors filed a motion for a mental examination to ensure that Sayles is fit for trial, but Jacobs denied that motion.

When the prosecution previosuly filed the motion for a mental exam, it did not mention Sayles’ request to defend himself, or that Sayles’ attorneys oppose the mental health exam, according to court documents. Also in Tuesday’s hearing, Sayles’ attorneys renewed a request asking the judge why the case wasn’t dismissed after Sayles’ car was destroyed after his arrest. The judge denied the defense’s renewed motion to have the case thrown out.

Last month, the court determined cellphone location testimony would not be included during the trial.

Sayles is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. A pretrial conference is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Oct. 6.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Nearly 100 football fans were assisted by MU Health Care teams at Faurot Field on Saturday for “various heat-related concerns,” an MU Health Care spokesman wrote in an email on Monday.

Spokesman Eric Maze wrote that University Hospital treated 34 patients on Saturday for heat-related illnesses.

High temperatures led to the university moving up Saturday’s kickoff time to noon instead of 3 p.m.

The Tigers bested the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns 52-10.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A years-long court case is over.

Internet provider Brightspeed, which was previously CenturyLink, will pay the City of Columbia $14.3 million in a settlement over unpaid license taxes and fees, according to court documents.

The settlement – which was obtained by ABC 17 News through a records request on Monday – was reached on July 16.  

Columbia and the City of Joplin filed the lawsuit in 2014. The lawsuit was scheduled for a trial last summer, but the judge dismissed the case in July because of the settlement.

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