A Massive Search Is Underway For A Schizophrenic Man Who Allegedly Stole A Police Cruiser And A Shotgun

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Police officers from multiple jurisdictions around Kansas City, Missouri are taking part in a manhunt for 30-year-old Joshua W. Boyd, a mentally disturbed man who authorities say stole a police cruiser and is armed with a shotgun, KCTV reports.

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Boyd was approached by two officers on Wednesday after they received a report of a disturbance at a local gas station, but the encounter soon went south. WDAF-TV has more:

According to court documents officers made contact with Boyd once they arrived at the scene. They said he told them he was schizophrenic, off his medication and was afraid people were after him. One of the officers called an ambulance for Boyd, but upon arrival, police said Boyd claimed the ambulance wasn't real, then jumped into the driver side of one of the patrol cars, a Ford Taurus, No. 542. One of the officers attempted to stop him by holding the car in park and removing the keys from the ignition, but Boyd was able to get the vehicle into drive.

One officer was dragged in the car for a short way before he jumped out, according to KCTV. Soon after, a high-speed pursuit began but officers lost him as speeds reached over 100 miles per hour, according to WDAF-TV.

KMBC-TV reported the police cruiser was later dumped along I-35, minus Boyd and the police-issued shotgun. Inside the car, they found a wallet with a jail wristband for Joshua W. Boyd, WDAF-TV reported.

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"We've had zero leads, zero calls, I mean, we haven't even had a person wrongly identified or anything," Sgt. Jake Angle of the Missouri Highway Patrol told the station. "It's just, the trail's really gone cold."

Police have put out a description of Boyd, a white man, who was last seen in a blue shirt and khaki shorts. He's around 5'10" and weighing about 170 lbs., according to KCTV.