Garrett Cleaver, 26, Colony, who faces several felony charges in Allen County, appeared in Christian County Circuit Court, Ozark, Mo., Friday morning for violating his probation, the result of convictions in 2004.
Cleaver was arrested in Springfield, Mo., Dec. 5, after being on the lam two weeks after fleeing from officers in rural Allen County.
His probation in Missouri was from convictions for possessing stolen property, possessing a controlled substance, two counts of resisting arrest and assault on a law enforcement officer.
Allen County Attorney Wade Bowie said he was uncertain when Cleaver’s time in the Missouri court system would play out.
When it does, he will face a manslaughter charge from a 2009 fatal traffic accident in Neosho County, being prosecuted by the Kansas attorney general’s office, and Allen County charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, felony fleeing and eluding officers, felony possession of a firearm, criminal damage to property and reckless driving.
“I don’t know yet whether we’ll deal with him in Allen County first, or whether he will go first to Neosho County,” after resolution in Missouri, Bowie said.
CLEAVER’S troubles in Allen County began the afternoon of Nov. 21 when a Humboldt officer stopped a car on Bridge Street when he noticed the occupants weren’t wearing seatbelts. Melissa Elder, 31, was driving the car.
After the car stopped, Cleaver bolted, taking with him an assault rifle. The officer gave chase on foot and in a nearby alley was confronted by Cleaver, who then ran back to the car – Elder was standing outside – jumped in and sped away.
Other officers joined the chase, which wove its way 8 miles to northeast of Humboldt, where Cleaver crashed the car near the intersection of Iowa Road and 2000 Street. He disappeared into brush and timber.
Allen County Sheriff Tom Williams said local officers learned that Cleaver might be in the Springfield area. Missouri officers arrested him at a motel.
