Salina Post
Two people were arrested on several requested charges, after a vehicle pursuit ended with top speeds of 120 mph.
According to the Saline County Sheriff's Office on Friday at around 3:00 pm, a deputy was in the area of the 10000 block of South 81 observed a vehicle doing 68 on a 55 mph zone. The vehicle was a white 2017 KIA sedan and immediately fled northbound on Old Highway 81.
A pursuit ensued and the vehicle turned east on Water Well Road, with top speeds at approximately 120 mph.
Sheriff Roger Soldan confirmed the vehicle was stolen from a Salina neighborhood sometime between Jan. 12 - 13. The initial tag on the KIA was stolen as well, as the suspect swapped the tags with another vehicle.
As the vehicle continued east on Water Well, it approached the intersection of Holmes Road and the vehicle went airborne, leaving the roadway on the north side of the travel lanes.
The vehicle then continued north and crashed into an area of trees behind a home in the area of Water Well Road.
It was determined there were two occupants in the vehicle, which they both fled north on foot from the vehicle after the crash.
Law enforcement then received a call from a residence on S. Holmes Road about hearing the noise of the crash and spotting a female run across their yard. Several deputies, along with officers from the Salina Police Department and Kansas Highway Patrol arrived to the scene.
As they searched the area, they spotted a male identified as Phoenix Leonard (30) from Salina, on top of the roof of a home in the area of S. Holmes. Leonard voiced to officers that he was armed and refused to come down from the roof.
Officers set a perimeter around the home, as they were actively searching for the other suspect as well.
Shortly after, a deputy noticed movement in a dog house in the area of the residence. Deputies then discovered Katherine Lynn (23) of Salina, as the other occupant of the vehicle who fled, and took her into custody.
With Leonard still on the roof, officers shot pepperballs in an attempt to get him off. Leonard was about to get off the roof and surrender, but noticed officers stopped shooting pepperballs and decided to stay on the roof.
Leonard then walked across the roof and fell through a skylight on an attached garage.
The homeowners then gave officers the garage door opener, and officers opened the garage. Highway Patrol then released a K9 towards Leonard and the K9 bit him, as officers took him into custody.
The pursuit, search and standoff for the suspects lasted until about 6:30 pm according to Soldan.
He was then transported to Salina Regional for injuries he sustained. Afterwards, Leonard was booked into the Saline County Jail for the requested charges of:
Felony Flee and Elude, Interference w Law Enforcement, Aggravated Burglary, Burglary, Possession of Stolen Property, Criminal Trespassing, Driving While Suspended, several Traffic Infractions and Kidnapping
Lynn was booked for the requested charges of Interference w Law Enforcement, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Trespassing.
Leonard was placed on a Kidnapping requested charge, because Lynn stated she wanted out of the vehicle during the chase but Leonard refused, according to Soldan.
Leonard and Lynn are acquainted according to Soldan.