Stotts City man sentenced to 24 years for shooting at police officer, meth possession

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A Stotts City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for shooting at a police officer during a high-speed chase that began in Carthage, Mo., and for illegally possessing methamphetamine to distribute.

Raul A. Gonzalez Reyes, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 24 years in federal prison without parole. The court granted the government’s request for an upward variance due to the egregiousness of Gonzalez Reyes’s criminal behavior.

On Nov. 17, 2021, Gonzalez Reyes pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

Gonzalez Reyes was arrested on Oct. 12, 2020, following a pursuit by law enforcement officers in which he shot at an officer before crashing his vehicle. According to court documents, Gonzalez Reyes also shot at a law enforcement officer earlier the same day but was able to elude the officer following a high-speed chase.

A Carthage Police Department sergeant attempted to conduct a traffic stop after Gonzalez Reyes committed several traffic violations while driving a Ford pick-up truck with a license plate registered to another vehicle. When the police sergeant activated his emergency lights and siren, Gonzalez Reyes began accelerating to a high rate of speed. The sergeant saw muzzle flashes and heard gunshots coming from the pickup towards his vehicle. According to court documents, Gonzalez Reyes later told investigators he continued shooting until the magazine fell out of the gun, and then he attempted to access a rifle with a scope. He intended to use all 32 rounds of 9mm ammunition. As Gonzalez Reyes continued shooting, the sergeant increased the distance between his vehicle and the pickup to await assistance from other officers.

As Gonzalez Reyes approached County Road 170 in Jasper County, Mo., he lost control of the pickup, which left the roadway and rolled. When Gonzalez Reyes refused orders to get out of his vehicle, he was placed in handcuffs and removed from the vehicle.

Officers searched the pickup and found a Heritage Rough Rider firearm, a Nomad American Tactical firearm, a Remington Arms firearm, a Mossberg firearm, a Savage firearm, a Stoeger firearm, and four baggies that contained a total of approximately 171.38 grams of pure methamphetamine.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Carthage, Mo., Police Department, and the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team.