Neighbors react to police chase, shooting involving teens
ST. LOUIS – A North County Co-Op officer returned gunfire at a group of suspects who fired shots during a stolen vehicle chase early Saturday morning. Four suspects are behind bars amid the investigation.
The gunfire happened sometime after 2 a.m. Saturday after the officer responded to a report of a stolen vehicle in north St. Louis County. It stemmed from a vehicle chase through parts of St. Louis City and St. Louis County.
According to a statement from the St. Louis County Police Department, an officer with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department observed a Kia sedan in the 2600 block of Locust Street in St. Louis City that was reportedly stolen from the 2100 block of Chambers Road in north county.
Pamela Chambers’ brother lives in the north county neighborhood where this happened. She said she thinks she’s seen the teens in question commit crimes before and was part of a group of neighbors who called the police on them. She said teens in the area have gotten out of control.
“Teenagers are out here doing too much,” Chambers said. “They’re not being held accountable for the things they’re doing, and it’s just scary out here. They have no fear.”
Chambers said she’d like to see the teens face adult charges.
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“You can’t keep letting these kids steal cars and not do anything to them. Because then, they just go steal another car, or break-into somebody’s house. If you’re a kid, you do kid stuff. But if you’re acting like an adult, and you’re still a kid, there has to be accountability.”
After the teens allegedly stole the Kia and drove to Locust Street, the SLMPD officer who responded was informed that an individual attempted to interrupt the suspects as they tampered with vehicles in a private, gated lot there. One suspect opened fire at the individual, and the individual allegedly fired back.
Abbey Lauffer lives at the apartment complex attached to the parking lot. She said she heard the whole incident happen from her apartment.
“I was sitting there, and I just heard all of these shots going off. It sounded like fireworks, or something of the sort,” Lauffer said. “(I heard) multiple rounds. I could tell it was a heavier gun, it wasn’t just like, ‘pew-pew!’ It was a lot, lot of rounds.”
The SLMPD officer heard the gunfire and later observed one person enter the stolen Kia. That officer then attempted to stop the vehicle but ended up pursuing it. A short time later, the group in the stolen vehicle crossed the St. Louis City-County line, and a North County Co-Op officer was requested to take over the pursuit.
As the North County Co-Op officer took over and pursued the vehicle, at least one person in the group opened fire at the officer. The officers “fired back at the suspects in several locations,” according to the news release.
The pursuit eventually ended in the 9700 block of Winkler Drive. The suspects jumped out of the stalled Kia and tried to run away, but authorities later tracked down all four occupants in the car.
Three suspects were juvenile males, while one was an adult, according to the news release.
No injuries were reported among suspects, officers or potential witnesses, according to the news release.
Police seized two guns during the investigation and learned of gunfire in the 2600 block of Locust Street from the first exchange that did not involve an officer.
The news release states the officer involved was a 28-year-old with the North County Co-Op department and has five years of law enforcement experience.
The St. Louis County Police Department is asking anyone with additional information in this investigation to come forward. If you have any relevant information, contact the department at 636-529-8210 or CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477).
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