MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
a division of the
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

Troop D Headquarters, 3131 East Kearney Street, Springfield, Missouri 65803


News Release

For further information please contact: Sergeant Jason M. Pace
(417) 895-6868
D392016
September 2, 2016

EMPHASIS: Highway Patrol Aircraft Aids In The Arrest Of Armed Auto Theft Suspects

At approximately 9:25 a.m. on September 1, 2016, a citizen observed a suspicious male and female walking in the area of North Farm Road 139 and West Sayer Street in Greene County, MO. Deputies with the Greene County Sheriff’s Department attempted to contact the pair, when the male subject fled on foot and was witnessed getting into a parked Ford F-150 truck at a construction site. When a Greene County deputy attempted to stop the subject from driving away, the subject brandished a knife and attempted to assault the officer. The owner of the vehicle also tried to stop the moving truck, but he fell from the vehicle and sustained serious injuries. The vehicle fled the scene and later lost control, causing it to overturn near North Marion Avenue and West Smith Street in Springfield, where the subject ran into a nearby wooded area. A perimeter was quickly established and officers with the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, Springfield Police Department, Springfield Public Schools, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol began searching the area for the male subject.

At approximately 11:30 a.m., a request was made for the Patrol’s helicopter to assist with the search. Officers re-established a perimeter where the subject was last seen running into the heavily wooded area. The helicopter pilot and the tactical flight officer spotted the male subject and directed the officers on the ground to his location where he was attempting to hide. Once located, a brief foot pursuit ensued and the subject was taken into custody without further incident. He and the female subject was transported to the Greene County Jail and charges are pending.

The arrest and investigation were conducted by the Greene County Sheriff's Department, where further information can be obtained.


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