Kansas City man charged with resisting arrest after crash

Arthur M. Bryant, 31, of Kansas City, Missouri, was charged Wednesday with resisting arrest stemming from a Sept. 2 vehicle and foot chase through Cape Girardeau.

Bryant nearly ran Southeast Missouri State University police officer William Sammut off the road about 2:20 a.m. while driving in the center of Bellvue Street in a 2011 Nissan, according to Sammut's probable-cause statement.

Sammut turned on his lights, and Bryan ran a stop sign. Bryant turned south on West End Boulevard with Sammut giving chase, but he crashed in a church lawn near 217 N. West End Blvd. Bryant then began running on foot and eluded Sammut for a block before jumping over a chain-link fence near a church on West End Boulevard. Sammut lost Bryant after encountering an unchained dog in the backyard of a residence.

Cape Girardeau Police officer Nick Basinger responded to the scene and found a semi-automatic, .45-caliber handgun in the glove box. Sammut and three other officers then found Bryant's wallet.

The car was registered to Ronetta Artis of Cape Girardeau, who reportedly told Sammut she has allowed Bryant to borrow the vehicle before. A criminal history of Bryant indicates he was on probation and parole in Missouri for robbery in the first degree and attempted first-degree assault on a law-enforcement officer.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

217 N. West End Blvd., Cape Girardeau, Mo.