DOWNS — A 21-year-old Downs man was wounded Tuesday night following a high-speed pursuit and gun battle with state troopers and police officers Tuesday in north-central Kansas. Matthew Thille is in stable condition in a Wichita hospital, said Tony Weingartner, assistant director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. After a hearing in Jewell County District Court Monday morning, Thille escaped while being escorted back to the jail, Weingartner said. Thille stole a vehicle and fled to his home in Downs. The Kansas Highway Patrol said a Mitchell County deputy spotted Thille traveling west on U.S. 24 and tried to pull him over. The Highway Patrol said he took off, setting off a pursuit that ended when Thille got to his house in Downs, where he barricaded himself inside and started shooting at law officers. Most of Downs’ downtown area was sealed off during the standoff. The Kansas Highway Patrol’s Special Response Team responded to the scene and tried to communicate with him. After several hours of attempted communication with Thille, the Special Response Team approached the house, setting off a new gun battle. Thille was wounded by a state trooper before he was arrested. No officers were hurt in the chase or standoff but the KBI said patrol cars were hit. Ten agents from the KBI are working on the case and preparing charges against Thille, Weingartner said.
Tuesday, March 22, 3 p.m.; updated Wednesday, March 23, 6 a.m.
