A 36-year-old Barnhart man who reportedly stole a cart full of items from the Arnold Walmart store allegedly hit a police officer with a van while trying to avoid questioning. Arnold Police were called to the store, 2201 Michigan Ave., because of an accident in the parking lot, and while investigating the collision, an officer saw the man leave the store with a cart full of items that were not in bags, the report said.
At about 10 p.m. May 24, the officer approached the man to ask about the unbagged items, which were valued at $495.25, and the suspect reportedly ran toward a 2005 Dodge Caravan and started the van’s engine. The officer ordered the man to turn off the engine, but instead the suspect put the van into gear and allegedly backed out of a parking space, according to the report.
As the suspect backed out, the driver-side mirror on the van reportedly hit the officer in his lower back, spinning him around, and then the van struck the officer. The officer was not seriously injured, the report said.
Then the suspect allegedly drove the van toward the officer, who pointed his gun at the driver and ordered him to stop. The driver stopped, and other officers removed him from the van and arrested him, according to the report.
While attempting to flee in the van, the suspect allegedly ran into a cart corral, pushing it into a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. The estimated damage to the corral was $790, and the estimated damage to the Chevrolet was $500, Arnold Police reported.
The suspect reportedly was driving with a revoked license, and officers also allegedly found a substance believed to be heroin, as well as an unidentified controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, inside the van, the report said.
The suspect was taken to the Police Station, where he was booked and released pending application for warrants. Depending on results of the drug analysis, Arnold Police will seek charges against the man through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for two counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, third-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, shoplifting and first-degree and second-degree property damage, Cpl. Brett Ackermann said.