Two men face drug and weapons charges after apparently leading authorities on a chase through Platte County over the weekend, ending with dozens of law enforcement officers taking the pair into custody.
Fernando Soto
According to court documents, Fernando Soto, 31, of Grandview, Mo. was driving the vehicle carrying nearly 300 grams worth of methamphetamine when a Platte County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on Interstate 29. Soto did not stop and allegedly fled — attempting to hit a law enforcement vehicle, driving at excessive speeds and weaving in and out of traffic.
Soto and passenger Christopher Hamm, 19, of Kansas City, Kan. allegedly threw 272.5 grams of methamphetamine and multiple firearms out of the vehicle during the pursuit. The route of the pursuit was not indicated in court documents, but the attempted stop occurred at about 7 p.m. on northbound I-29 near Highway 92 in Platte City.
There’s no indication of when and where the pursuit started.
A video posted to Facebook at 7:24 p.m. that night shows at least a dozen law enforcement vehicles, including ones from the Platte County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas City (Mo.) Police Department and Missouri Highway Patrol, with a white Dodge four-door pickup truck stopped on the southbound exit off of I-29 to 72nd Street near Platte Woods, Mo. in central Platte County. A law enforcement helicopter also appeared to be tracking the suspects’ movements.
Christopher Hamm
In the video, a white male subject resembling Hamm can be seen walking backward with his hands on his head while a law enforcement officer gives instructions. A deputy with the sheriff’s office and a KCMO officer can clearly be seen with weapons drawn pointed at the suspect.
Multiple civilian cars are stopped in the area as the arrest takes place.
Soto remains in custody at the Platte County Detention Center in lieu of a $50,000 cash-only bond, charged with felonies for resisting a stop by fleeing, possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon. Hamm remains in custody at the Jackson County Detention Center, charged with felonies for possession of a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence and unlawful use of a weapon.
The unlawful use of a weapon charges stem from being in possession of the firearms along with the methamphetamine.