Police shoot, kill suspected truck thief after chase in Jefferson County
IMPERIAL, Mo. – An officer fatally shot a suspected truck thief after a lengthy police chase Thursday morning that ended in Jefferson County.
The chase allegedly involved the suspect firing shots multiple times at police during the pursuit. No officers were hurt in the chase or from gunfire.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has identified the suspect as Terry Pfeffer, 45, of Arnold, Missouri.
According to Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak, based on the preliminary stages of the investigation, a St. Louis police officer fatally shot the suspect.
The chase ended with a crash at an apartment complex on Westward Trails Drive at the Westward Trails Apartments near Imperial in Jefferson County, not too far from Interstate 55.
Authorities tell FOX 2 that efforts to stop the suspect started in south St. Louis around 7 a.m. Thursday. That’s when the Anti-Crime Task Force with the St. Louis City Police Department tried to pull over a red pick-up truck at Broadway and Schirmer in south city.
Investigators say the truck was reported stolen in the city on May 6. Two people were inside the truck when the driver sped off, leading to a police chase. That chase continued onto Telegraph Road into St. Louis County, then into Jefferson County.
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Authorities say the driver of the truck, later identified as Pfeffer, fired shots multiple times at officers during the chase along various roadways. It’s still under investigation if a female passenger in the truck fired shots as well.
Police put down spike sticks which flattened the truck’s front tires. Eventually, the truck wound up in a Jefferson County cul de sac.
Marshak said, after that, the man got out of the truck with a gun. Marshak says it’s believed that he exchanged gunfire with St. Louis city police officers.
Marshak told FOX 2 that police officers shot and killed the suspect. The female passenger in the truck was taken into custody.
Marshak said in a media briefing Thursday that he believes that the suspect dictated the actions of law enforcement.
“The suspect fired at law enforcement officers throughout this entire episode and it didn’t conclude until he forced police officers into a situation that they had to defend themselves,” said Marshak.
Pfeffer has a lengthy criminal history that includes drug, gun, vehicle and assault charges, according to the sheriff’s office.
Bullet holes can be seen on the driver’s side of the vehicle. We have learned that several people witnessed the chase and gunfire.
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Joe Donnelly was out walking his dog when the entire ending of the chase unfolded right in front of him.
“I noticed the red truck just flying down the street,” said Donnelly. “It went in between the buildings. And I did notice two police officers were right behind him. So as the police officers get out of the truck, I heard the gunman, I guess you would say, firing at the police. And I saw the police firing back at the gunman. It seemed like it went on forever.”
We are also told that the city officers were wearing body cams that were rolling during the ending of the chase. Video from those body cameras have not yet been released.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation into the St. Louis officer’s gunfire.
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