KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — A Kansas City man is behind bars after shooting a tow truck driver in the abdomen and kicking him in the head following a dispute over how the driver was handling a tow, according to Platte County court records. The driver underwent emergency surgery and remains in critical condition.
At approximately 2:10 a.m. on April 4, Kansas City Police Department officers and Platte County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of Northwest 70th Street and Northwest Mokane Avenue for a reported shooting. Platte County deputies arrived first and found Ezekial Z. Doss, 33, kneeling near two trash bins, attempting to conceal a firearm underneath one of them. They found the victim, Matthew Solberg, a driver for Maxx Towing, in the cab of his tow truck with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Deputies rendered aid until medics arrived. Kansas City Fire Department EMS transported Solberg to North Kansas City Hospital for emergency surgery. As Doss was taken into custody, he told deputies spontaneously: “That’s not my gun.”
What Led to the Shooting
Court records say Doss told investigators that around 11 p.m. or midnight, his 2021 Dodge Charger suffered a flat tire on northbound 635 Highway after hitting something in the road. He called for a tow truck. When Solberg arrived and began loading the Charger, Doss said Solberg became combative and told him he could not ride in his Charger during the tow and would have to sit in the cab instead. Doss sat in the passenger seat. He said the two argued during the drive to his residence, with Solberg at one point threatening not to take him home.
Once they arrived, Doss claimed Solberg punched him unprovoked while the car was being unloaded. He said a fight broke out and that his pistol fired from his pants while he was on the ground with Solberg on top of him. He said he tried to hide the gun because he did not want it in his hand when police arrived. According to court records, the tow truck driver never threatened Doss’s life.
Witness Accounts
One witness told investigators he heard yelling outside his apartment, looked out, and saw Doss arguing with Solberg on the driver’s side of the tow truck. He then heard a gunshot and looked back to see Solberg on the ground with Doss standing over him. Another witness, Doss’s fiancée, said she heard yelling and saw Solberg hit Doss in the head. As she was exiting her apartment, she heard a gunshot. When she reached Doss, he told her “He hit me.” A third witness partially captured the argument on a Ring camera. The footage showed the dispute and Doss reaching into his pockets, but investigators could not confirm whether he was holding an object when he extended his arm toward the truck.
Charges and Bond
Doss faces one count of second-degree assault in Platte County Circuit Court. He is being held at the Platte County Jail on a $250,000 cash-only bond. His first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday at 8:15 a.m.
Industry Response
The Missouri Tow Truck Association is asking the public to support Solberg as he recovers. “This is the reality of what our operators face,” the MTTA said. “When one of us is down, we step up.” Donations can be made in person at an MTTA meeting or by mailing a check to the MTTA at P.O. Box 1221, Liberty, Missouri 64069.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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