Felony charges have been filed against Donald Hornsey, 48, of Valles Mines following a police pursuit that started in St. Francois County and ended in rural De Soto, where he was found after an approximately 12-hour manhunt on Tuesday, authorities report.
That morning, a St. Francois deputy on a routine patrol noticed three men and two vehicles on a dirt road off Cedar Falls Road outside Desloge and stopped to investigate, said Cpl. Juston Wheetley of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, which is handling the investigation.
The deputy approached the men, and Hornsey went to one of the vehicles under the guise of getting his ID. He jumped in, stole the vehicle and struck the deputy with it while fleeing, Wheetley said.
The deputy fired at the vehicle as it drove away, and the vehicle was struck, but Hornsey was not, Wheetley said.
He said the deputy was hurt, complaining of pain in his neck, back and leg, and was transported to an area hospital.
Before that, though, the deputy was able to keep the other two men at the scene until backup arrived. Those two were taken into custody, Wheetley said.
Another St. Francois deputy spotted the vehicle Hornsey fled in on northbound Hwy. 67 near St. Francois State Park and tried to stop him. When Hornsey failed to stop, a police pursuit began, Wheetley said.
Eventually, Hornsey made it to rural De Soto, abandoned the vehicle and ran into a wooded area near the Big Woods subdivision, where deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office joined St. Francois County deputies to search for Hornsey.
They stopped searching when it got dark but continued following leads. Around 10 p.m., after receiving a tip about where Hornsey might be, deputies found him at a home in rural De Soto not too far from where he ran into the woods, Wheetley said.
Hornsey was taken into custody, and has been charged with assault on a law enforcement officer, a class A felony, and armed criminal action, an unclassified felony, court records show.
If convicted, Hornsey faces 10 to 30 years or life in prison for the class A felony and no less than three years for armed criminal action.
Hornsey already was wanted by the U.S. Marshal’s Office on felony probation violations tied to methamphetamine charges, Wheetley said.
During the manhunt on Tuesday, all the De Soto School District buildings and the Sunrise School had a lockdown, when access to the buildings was restricted more than usual. Also, extra precautions were taken when students were transported home after school.