KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ A 29-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to spend the rest of his life in prison for the killing last May of Kansas City, Kan., police Detective Brad Lancaster.
Curtis Ayers pleaded guilty in January to capital murder in the fatal shooting of Lancaster last May 9 outside the Kansas Speedway in western Wyandotte County.
Ayers chose not to comment before he was sentenced.
In exchange for Ayers' guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to not seek a death sentence.
Wyandotte County District Judge Bill Klapper also sentenced Ayers on Tuesday for nine other felony crimes he committed after Lancaster was shot, including robbery, kidnapping, shooting at another police officer and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Those sentences, totaling 41 years in prison, were ordered to run consecutively to the life sentence.
Before he imposed the sentence, the judge said that many people in the courtroom would want to see Ayers receive a death sentence.
"But that is not in my power," Klapper said. "And that would not bring back Detective Lancaster."
The judge said that if it were in his power, he would make Ayers spend "every waking moment" of his life feeling the same sadness, loneliness and pain felt by all the people his crimes affected.
After the sentencing, Kansas City, Kan., Police Department Deputy Police Chief Mike York called Lancaster a dedicated and passionate man who was also one of the smartest people he had ever met.
"Brad dedicated his life to serving others," said York, speaking on behalf of the department. "He is our hero."
Shortly after the sentencing, Kansas City, Kan., Police Chief Terry Zeigler tweeted about the loss.
"We will continue to heal as a family, Department, and community," he wrote. "Thanks to everyone who has worked on this case."
Lancaster was killed while he and other officers were responding to a call from security at the Hollywood Casino.
After he was shot, Ayers got into Lancaster's police vehicle and began to flee before another officer rammed the vehicle. Ayers and that officer exchanged gunfire. Neither was hit before Ayers drove off in Lancaster's car.
A few minutes later, he was involved in a traffic crash with a vehicle occupied by a woman and her two small children.
Ayers pulled the woman from her car, causing her to fall and break her arm. He drove away in her car with the children still inside.
He then drove to Basehor in Leavenworth County where he left that car with the children unharmed and allegedly stole another man's car at gunpoint.
Later that day, Ayers was shot by a Kansas City police officer after Ayers allegedly shot another woman while trying to steal her car.
Ayers expressed regret last month.
"My children also have to grow up without a father, so everybody loses," Ayers said. "Because of the choices I made, I'm in prison for the rest of my life, and I feel like that's losing."
Charges are pending against him in Jackson and Leavenworth counties.
