Cherokee County jury finds Missouri man guilty of robbery, other charges

A Cherokee County Jury returned guilty verdicts Thursday afternoon following a two-day trial held at the Cherokee County Courthouse. Read the full press release from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office below:

Joseph Shipps, 42, of Sikeston, Missouri was found guilty of Robbery, Attempting to Elude Law Enforcement and Driving While Suspended.

In December, 2019, Shipps went to an area home and asked the homeowner to give him a ride to a nearby store. During the trip, a Cherokee County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, at which point Shipps forced the man out of the vehicle and fled in it.

The Deputy pursued Shipps into Oklahoma, where the Oklahoma Highway Patrol became involved in the pursuit, which ended when a Tactical Vehicle Intervention Maneuver was performed on the vehicle.

Shipps was ordered held in the Cherokee County Jail without bond pending sentencing, which will be scheduled at a later date.

Shipps was prosecuted by Deputy Cherokee County Attorney Kurt Benecke.