YATES CENTER — An Independence man with a lengthy criminal history that includes multiple shootings and police chases was arrested Thursday after a frenzied search by air and foot.
Benjamin Whitaker, age 20, is in custody in Woodson County after a two-day manhunt.
Whitaker had been on the lam since mid-December when he had been allowed to leave jail in Independence to attend his grandmother’s funeral, and then failed to return to confinement.
Whitaker is accused of assaulting a police officer when stopped in Yates Center Wednesday.
Woodson County sheriff Jeff McCullough said “it started off with a traffic stop … over on 75 highway, right off of Fry Street” in Yates Center.
When officer Vinson “Vinnie” Baker stopped Whitaker he had no valid driver’s license, and according to McCullough, was trying to use his brother’s name.
After Whitaker realized he was likely going to be arrested, McCullough said “I think he shoved Vinnie,” which later led to the filing of local charges of battering a law enforcement officer.
Whitaker fled. Officers failed to locate him and ended the search at about 3 p.m. Wednesday
A bulletin was posted notifying residents to be on the lookout for him. He was described as a white male in his 20s wearing an Independence Bulldogs shirt.
The following day brought more luck.
McCullough said that on Thursday morning, around 7:20 a.m., “one observant citizen” phoned in and said something like: “I think you may have this guy walking down the sidewalk by G&W.”
Sure enough, it was Whitaker.
Rather than any altercation, however, McCullough said “they took him into custody real quick … went very smoothly.”
Along with Whitaker a female also was arrested for interference with law enforcement.
“She kind of led us in a different direction,” he added, “trying to lead us away from him.”
