Columbia man charged, accused of helping murder suspect avoid police
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Boone County Prosecutors have filed charges against Maurice Penny Jr. after he was accused of helping Ja'Shaun Barney avoid arrest.
Penny, 39, of Columbia, was arrested on Thursday. He was charged with resisting arrest and hindering the prosecution of a felony. He is being held in the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date has not been set.
According to the probable cause statement, detectives reported seeing a man who matched Barney's description from a white Chevrolet Camaro in the Links Apartment Complex at 10:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2.
Columbia police officers allegedly had information that Barney was "using or being transported in the Chevrolet Camaro." Court documents also state police knew of family ties between Penny and Barney.
Penny was pulled over at 10:32 p.m., according to the statement. When officers asked who he dropped off at the Links he allegedly said, "That's for y'all to find out," according to court documents. He allegedly told police later that he dropped off his cousin, whose initials are RK in the statement.
Police said the person was identified as Barney. Penny was accused of preventing the arrest of Barney by providing false information and with transportation, according to the statement.
Penny was not arrested until Thursday after a pursuit that police said the same car was in at least two other pursuits that week.
Police tried to pull Penny over at the intersection of Sexton Road and Business Loop 70. He allegedly led police on chase that reached more than 90 miles per hour. The probable cause statement says he tried to turn on Jewell Avenue, but missed the intersection and drove onto the grass of a business before continuing at 80-90 miles per hour through a neighborhood.
Police ended the chase, but Penny was arrested four minutes later outside a home on Madison Street.
He allegedly told police he was going to Texas, which his parole officer confirmed, the probable cause statement says.
