BEL-RIDGE, Mo. (AP) - The NAACP is raising concerns after reports surfaced that a suburban St. Louis police officer didn't stop to help after a chase ended in a deadly crash.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that leaders of the St. Louis and St. Louis County NAACP questioned Monday why the Bel-Ridge officer involved in the pursuit didn't come forward after the Nov. 1 crash that killed 18-year-old Lacey Schoster. The leaders say the issue transcended race; Schoster is white.
The Bel-Ridge police chief acknowledged Friday that a sergeant had pursued a car, after initially saying he couldn't find evidence his department was involved. Even so, the chief said the sergeant had ended the pursuit without knowing a crash occurred, although questions have been raised about where the sergeant exited an interstate.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating.