Drunk felon in stolen car who fired weapon in Carl Junction pleads guilty to federal charge

 A Pittsburg, Kansas man who was arrested for drunk driving by the Jasper County  deputies in a stolen vehicle after firing a gun in Carl Junction pleaded guilty to a felon in possession of a weapon charge this morning in U. S. District Court in Springfield.

William F. Askew, 38, will remain in the Greene County Jail while awaiting sentencing.

A federal grand jury indicted Askew in November on charges stemming from the Jasper County stop, which was described in the probable cause statement filed in Jasper County Circuit Court:

On June 18, 2019 at 0938 hours I, Deputy (George) Datum responded to a vehicle pursuit with possible shots fired at Hill Ln and County Road 304 in Carl Junction, Jasper County MO. 

Upon arrival William Askew shot one single round in an unknown direction when he exited the stolen vehicle he had fled from officers in. (Askew) refused to comply with orders resulting in a K9 apprehension and taser deployment.

A criminal history checked located several prior felony convictions for drugs and assaults. A single barrel shotgun was located with a spent 12 gauge shotgun shell. I observed the rifle having grinding marks on the side as if a serial number was removed.

William was taken into custody at 1039 hours and transported to the Jasper County Detention Center for resisting arrest, armed criminal action, Stealing a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm, Unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a defaced firearm."

In a separate report, Jasper County deputy Jonah Holly described the DWI arrest:

I attempted to set my issued spike strips at County Road 255 I saw William Askew driving the truck while swerving to miss the spikes.

When William was taken into custody at the end, I was able to smell a strong odor of intoxicants coming from Williams’s person. A PBT showed alcohol in his system with a .149. William was taken to the County Jail where he refused SFST’s. William gave a BAC of .152. William has a history with DWIs.