Kurt Irish charged

Kurt Irish - September 3, 2011
Johnson County Sheriff's Office Booking Photo

The man responsible for leading Lenexa Police in a vehicle pursuit and sparking a large area of western Shawnee to be locked down Friday afternoon is now facing a slew of charges. 


Kurt Irish, 43, has been charged with the following charges in Johnson County; Felony Aggravated Robbery, Felony Fleeing a Law Enforcement Officer, Misdemeanor Criminal Deprivation of Property, Misdemeanor Reckless Driving, Misdemeanor Drug Paraphernalia


These charges stemmed from a crime spree by Irish who is also a four-time Parole Absconder. The Aggravated Robbery allegedly occurred at Halftime Liquors, 15810 Shawnee Mission Parkway on August 19th around 8:30 p.m. Irish is said to have walked out of the store without paying for a bottle of Crown Royal. The store owner approached him in the parking lot to confront him, at that time Irish displayed a silver handgun and fled in a 1998 Ford Taurus.


The Ford Taurus that Irish fled the robbery in belongs to a relative, who loaned him the vehicle. When the vehicle was not returned to the owner, it was reported as stolen. That is where the Criminal Deprivation of Property charge stems from.


The remaining charges are from events of Friday, September 2nd. Lenexa Police spotted a man matching Irish's description driving the 1998 Ford Taurus that was reported stolen, around 10:45 a.m.. Police pursued that vehicle into Shawnee, where Irish sped up Barker Road and eventually onto a dirt driveway where the vehicle was found abandoned. This sparked a six-hour manhunt which involved K-9 teams from Shawnee, Lenexa and Olathe. Law Enforcement from surrounding agencies also took part in the search along with the FBI's Fugitive Apprehension Team. The manhunt was called off shortly before 5 p.m. Friday evening.


Friday evening around 9 p.m. Shawnee Police announced that Kurt Irish had been arrested in Lenexa. Police chalked up the arrest to "inter-agency teamwork." Police will only say that Irish did not turn himself in. No further details regarding the arrest have been released.


Irish is being held in the Johnson County Detention Center on a more than $100,000 bond this morning.


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Kurt Irish initial charges filed