U.S. Department
of Justice
KC Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man who was wounded in a shoot-out with police officers was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Cahlan A. Clay, 28, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 10 years in federal prison without parole, which is the maximum statutory penalty for this offense.
On May 10, 2016, Clay was found guilty at trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to trial testimony, two uniformed Kansas City police officers who were heading home from their off-duty shift nearby, heard multiple gunshots from the area of the Club Luna nightclub, 1520 Grand Ave., at approximately 2:45 a.m. on Sept. 23, 2012. Officers saw a crowd of people running away from the parking lot south of 1520 Grand. The officers pushed through the crowd, and when they got to the parking lot, Clay was standing there with a gun in his hand. He saw the officers, raised his gun, pointed it at them, and fired a round in their direction. One of the officers saw a muzzle flash but was unable to return fire because of the people running in his direction.
Clay began running south on Grand Avenue with the officer in pursuit. Clay turned and pointed the gun in the officer’s direction a second time and the officer returned fire, hitting Clay in the leg. Clay fell when he reached the corner of 16th and Grand.
As the officer turned the corner at 16th and Grand, he found Clay, who had been shot twice, sitting on the ground and leaning against a building. Clay had a Jimenez Arms 9mm handgun in his hand, which he pointed at the officer. Clay complied after being told to drop the gun.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Clay has a prior felony conviction for aggravated battery.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Edwards and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney R. Pratten. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.