By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
RIVERTON, Kan. — The body of a South Carolina man was recovered Sunday morning from Spring River.
Christopher Robertson, 28, of Tillman, S.C., reportedly jumped from the south side of the Highway 66 bridge about 11 p.m. Saturday while being questioned by a deputy from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department.
The body was taken to Topeka, where an autopsy was performed.
Sheriff David Groves said the deputy, Shane Gibson, had responded to a report that a man was walking down the middle of the highway, causing a hazard to himself and motorists.
Taser used
Groves said Robertson told the deputy that he was walking from Kansas City to Alabama. During the questioning, Robertson started to run away. Groves said Gibson ordered Robertson to stop, but he kept running. Groves said that as Robertson approached the edge of the bridge, the deputy, fearing the man would jump, fired a stun gun.
“The guy took off running,” Groves said. “The deputy hollers and warns him that he will be Tased, but he continues to run.”
Groves said one of the gun’s probes missed Robertson because an electrical circuit wasn’t completed. Robertson climbed over the railing and jumped into the river, Groves said. He said photos of the body confirm that only one of the stun gun’s probes made contact.
Groves said Gibson immediately radioed for assistance.
The sheriff said Gibson indicated in his report that Robertson may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Search
Water rescue units from the Galena, Baxter Springs and Columbus fire departments assisted the Sheriff’s Department, as did the Newton County (Mo.) Search and Rescue Team.
Newton County Search and Rescue commander Grady Weston said the Galena Fire Department called at 12:40 a.m. Sunday. Weston said his divers don’t dive at night, so the search was resumed at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. He said the Galena Fire Department, using sonar equipment, detected a possible object in the water. Divers approached the area in a boat and pulled the body from the river with the boat’s anchor. Weston said divers were in the water, but submerging wasn’t required.
Groves said Robertson’s body was recovered about 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
Weston declined to say how many, if any, stun gun probes were attached to the body when it was recovered. He said it is the sheriff’s responsibility to release that kind of information.
Weston said Spring River can be difficult to search, because it is 300 feet wide.
“That’s a big, old body of water,” he said.
Probable encounter
Joplin, Mo., resident Mike Runnebaum said he felt sick to his stomach Monday after reading about Robertson’s death. Runnebaum said he was driving west on Seventh Street, west of Joplin, at 4:47 a.m. Saturday when he nearly struck a man who was walking west in the middle of the highway around Black Cat Road.
Runnebaum said he thinks the man was Robertson. He said he pulled over in his vehicle and asked the man what he was thinking. He said the response wasn’t coherent.
“I could just tell that the guy was really troubled,” Runnebaum said. He said he was unable to determine if the man was intoxicated or otherwise had mental problems.
Runnebaum said he contacted the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, but deputies apparently had no reason to detain the man. No record could immediately be found of any encounter between the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department and Robertson.
Report still out
A preliminary autopsy report for Christopher Robertson was not available by 5 p.m. Monday.
