ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) said it has arrested two suspects connected to an officer hit on Interstate 70 near Shreve Monday morning. The officer had his leg partially amputated after the crash, according to court documents.
The crash happened as police were trying to track down a vehicle connected to a carjacking out of Illinois, according to police.
Mekhi Campbell, 18, the driver of the Acura that fled from police, has been charged with:
- Assault in the first degree on a law enforcement officer
- Armed criminal action
- Aggravated fleeing
- Resisting arrest
Along with Campbell, 62-year-old Frank Carr, who allegedly struck the officer and one of the suspects has been charged with:
- Two counts of leaving the scene of an accident causing serious injuries
- Tampering with evidence
Investigators say one of the people in Campbell's Acura ran into the express lanes while trying to get away from police where he was held at gunpoint by an officer, according to police. The suspect jumped over the median before lying down to be put under arrest. That is when police say Carr's Cadillac struck them. The officer suffered serious leg injuries and the other suspect is in critical condition. Police say after the crash, the officer fired a safety shot to alert responding officers who applied a tourniquet then rushed him to the hospital. Campbell and another suspect were caught at the scene.
Police did release images of Campbell's car after the crash and say that within 25 minutes of putting out the call for help, they received a tip that helped them identify the vehicle.
Court documents say officers received video from a witness where you could see the bumper of the wanted vehicle dragging on the highway after the crash that included the vehicle's license plate.
Officers were able to run the plate and found it was registered to the Campbell, according to court documents. Police say when interviewed, Campbell admitted he was the driver and admitted he towed his vehicle to a nearby body shop, where officers saw the bumper was removed.
