Car Thief FIRES on Police – Gets 18 Years?!

A Kansas City man opened fire on police officers during a high-speed chase, then walks away with just 18 years despite also stealing from a federal agency before a presidential visit.

At a Glance

• Jason Keith was sentenced to 18 years after pleading guilty to vehicle hijacking, armed criminal action, aggravated fleeing, and first-degree assault
• Keith fired a rifle at police officers during a high-speed chase in February 2025 after stealing a vehicle
• Prior to this incident, Keith stole a gun from Bass Pro Shop and communications equipment from a federal agency before a Biden speech
• He was finally apprehended on I-70 when officers deployed bean bag rounds to stop his escape attempt

Car Thief Opens Fire on Police During Wild Chase

Another day, another criminal who decided that his right to steal vehicles and shoot at police officers was more important than public safety. Jason Keith of Kansas City probably thought he was starring in his own personal action movie when he stole a car in February 2025 and led police on a high-speed chase. But unlike Hollywood’s version where the bad guys often get away, this real-life drama ended with an 18-year prison sentence that frankly seems light considering he literally fired a rifle at law enforcement officers who were just doing their jobs protecting the community.

What makes this case even more infuriating is that this wasn’t Keith’s first criminal rodeo. According to prosecutors, this menace to society had previously helped himself to a five-finger discount at Bass Pro Shop, stealing a firearm weeks before this incident. And if that wasn’t enough to raise red flags about this upstanding citizen, he also admitted to stealing communications equipment from the Defense Information Systems Agency before a speech by former President Joe Biden in Kansas City. Apparently, federal security measures weren’t enough to deter this career criminal.

Dangerous Pursuit Ends With Bean Bag Justice

The February 12 incident began when Kansas City police were alerted about a stolen vehicle – just another day of lawlessness in America’s cities. Officers located the vehicle at a gas station, but when they attempted to approach, Keith decided that following lawful police commands wasn’t on his to-do list. Instead, he fled the scene, initiating a dangerous pursuit that put countless innocent citizens at risk. As if stealing a car and fleeing from police wasn’t enough, this criminal mastermind decided to up the ante by firing a rifle at pursuing officers during the chase.

“Violent assaults against our law enforcement officers will never be tolerated and will be met with swift consequences” – Melesa Johnson.

The chase continued onto Interstate 70, where Keith obviously thought traffic laws were merely suggestions. When his vehicular escape plan failed, he attempted to flee on foot through traffic – because apparently endangering even more lives seemed like a solid Plan B. Fortunately, officers deployed bean bag rounds to take him down, a humane approach that probably spared this criminal from a more permanent resolution to his violent behavior. It’s worth noting that despite Keith’s best efforts to harm officers, no injuries were reported – a testament to either his poor marksmanship or divine intervention.

A Pattern of Dangerous Criminal Behavior

What’s particularly troubling about this case is the pattern of increasingly dangerous criminal behavior. Keith went from stealing a gun from Bass Pro Shop to swiping sensitive communications equipment from a federal agency before a presidential visit, then graduated to vehicle theft and attempted murder of police officers. One has to wonder what his next “achievement” would have been had officers not apprehended him. This is exactly the kind of escalating criminal behavior that undermines public safety and makes our communities less secure for law-abiding citizens.

Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced the sentencing, emphasizing that attacks on law enforcement won’t be tolerated. While the tough talk is appreciated, one has to question if 18 years is truly sufficient for someone who stole a vehicle, fled police, and opened fire on officers with a rifle – not to mention his previous criminal activities involving federal security and weapons theft. In a justice system that seems increasingly tilted toward coddling criminals, we can only hope Keith serves every day of his sentence instead of being released early to pursue his apparent career goal of becoming a one-man crime wave.