Jefferson City officers hurt chasing fleeing man

Charges filed Saturday

Two Jefferson City police officers were injured after pursuing a suspect early Saturday morning.

At 12:12 a.m. officers attempted to stop a vehicle for traffic violations in the 100 block of West McCarty Street. The vehicle failed to stop, leading to a short pursuit which ended moments later when the vehicle crashed in the 300 block of Washington Street, were the driver exited and fled on foot.

During the chase, one officer suffered a leg injury that required an emergency medical response to the scene.

Assisting officers located the driver less than 200 yards away, hiding behind a building. The driver began to run again but was taken into custody after continuing to struggle with officers at the scene, leading to a second officer sustaining injuries.

Officers recovered a semi-automatic pistol, individually packaged narcotics and a large amount of money during the arrest.

The driver, a 36-year-old unnamed Jefferson City resident, was taken to the Cole County Jail, pending charges for assault on a law enforcement officer, felon in possession of a firearm, resisting arrest by fleeing, possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute and resisting arrest by force.

The passenger of the vehicle, a 28-year-old unnamed Jefferson City resident, was unable to exit the crashed vehicle and was taken into custody at the scene.

Both officers injured during the incident were transported for treatment, with one suffering from a broken leg. Both officers have been released from the hospital, but neither will be returning to duty at this time.

Earlier coverage:

A Jefferson City police officer was hurt while chasing a potential suspect early Saturday morning.

Initial reports indicate the officer injured his ankle shortly after midnight during foot pursuit of a man near Washington and High streets. Although the fleeing man briefly evaded his pursuer, other officers converged on the downtown area and caught him a short time later.

The injured officer was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment. Police continue to investigate the incident.