An East St. Louis man has been charged with four felonies following a police chase Monday night (Sept. 27) that ended after he crashed the car he was driving into two Arnold Police cruisers, authorities reported.
A detective and an officer were injured in in the two crashes, and they were taken to Mercy Hospital South in south St. Louis County, where they were treated and released, Arnold Police Detective Lt. Jason Valentine said.
He said the detective returned to work Tuesday (Sept. 28), and the officer is expected to return following a few scheduled days off.
Angelo M. Pollard, 23, of East St. Louis was arrested soon after the crashes, and the next day the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged him with two counts of first-degree assault on a special victim, a class A felony punishable by 10 to 30 years or life in prison; first-degree tampering, a class D felony that carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison; and resisting arrest, a class E felony punishable by up to four years in prison, according to court records.
He was being held on no bond in the Jefferson County Jail on Tuesday.
At about 8:30 p.m. Monday, Arnold Police were called to the Kohl’s department store, 2150 Michigan Ave., because two men allegedly appeared to be trying to steal about $5,000 worth of merchandise. The men were wearing coats, and the hoods on their sweatshirts were pulled up over their heads, Arnold Police reported.
When an officer arrived at the store, the men reportedly abandoned a shopping cart full of merchandise inside the store, ran away and got into a 2021 Toyota Corolla that was riddled with bullet holes and had a Louisiana license plate, the report said.
The officer attempted to stop the Toyota, but Pollard, who was driving the car, allegedly accelerated onto Michigan Avenue and drove toward Jeffco Boulevard. When the officer got to the 1400 block of Jeffco Boulevard, he turned on his cruiser’s lights and sirens, but Pollard allegedly continued to speed away, reaching speeds of 65 mph in a 40-mph zone, according to the report.
He also reportedly failed to stay in a single lane and made an improper on Jeffco near Fox Pointe Drive, hitting a curb and appearing to disable the car. However, when the officer pulled behind the car, Pollard allegedly again drove away at a high rate of speed, headed north on Jeffco, the report said.
A detective positioned one of the department’s 2021 Chevrolet Tahoes at the intersection of Jeffco and Hwy. 141 with the cruiser’s emergency lights and sirens on, and as the Toyota approached, Pollard allegedly swerved at the cruiser, hitting the Tahoe’s back passenger side. The police SUV’s rear passenger-side fender, bumper and undercarriage were extensively damaged, the probable-cause statement in the case said.
Arnold Police reported that the Toyota nearly flipped during that collision, but Pollard regained control and turned onto Hwy. 141. An officer in a 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe followed the Toyota onto Hwy. 141, and Pollard allegedly swerved into that cruiser near Panda Express, 3880 Hwy. 141, the report said.
The 2020 Tahoe, which also was significantly damaged, became entangled with the Toyota, and the vehicles ended up on the sidewalk next to the highway. Pollard and the other man in the car jumped out and ran in opposite directions, according to the report.
The passenger got away, but Pollard was found hiding under a truck in the parking lot of the nearby Drury Inn & Suites, 3800 Hwy. 141, and he was arrested without further incident, the report said.
Investigators were still searching for the other man who was in the car but ran away after the second crash, Arnold Police reported on Tuesday.
The probable-cause statement said the detective’s neck and lower back were injured in the first crash, and the officer’s right wrist, right pinky finger, right elbow and left shoulder were injured in the second one.
Valentine said the detective has been with Arnold Police since 2015, and the officer has been with the department since 2019.
Valentine said Tuesday that Arnold Police were still waiting for estimates to repair the cruisers damaged in the chase.
He said the Toyota, which was totaled, had been reported stolen out of Hammond, La.
As of Tuesday, Pollard had not identified the man who was in the car with him, and he refused to tell investigators why the Toyota had bullet holes, Valentine said.
Pollard allegedly told investigators he should have stopped when an officer attempted to pull him over after he and the other man left Kohl’s. However, he allegedly said he knew the Toyota was stolen and that is why he didn’t stop the car, the probable-cause statement said.
Pollard also reportedly said he was aware the SUVs he struck were police vehicles because he saw the lights and heard the sirens.