Kyle A. Hopewell, 22, of House Springs has been sentenced to 17 years in prison following felony charges for resisting arrest, assaulting a law enforcement officer and drug possession, according to court records.
On Feb. 25, a Jefferson County deputy tried to pull over Hopewell at Old Hwy. 21 and Country Club Drive in Imperial and he fled, violating numerous traffic violations during the police pursuit, including speeding, failing to maintain a single lane, passing a vehicle in a no-passing zone, failing to signal when turning and running a stop sign, the probable-cause statement said.
Eventually, Hopewell abandoned his vehicle and ran away, and the deputy began chasing him. During that chase, the deputy’s uniform was damaged, the report said.
Two more deputies responded to the call and joined in the foot chase, which was in a wooded area near Old Hwy. M and Old Hwy. 21 in the Otto area, and one of them found Hopewell and was trying to subdue him, according to the report.
While that deputy was trying to subdue Hopewell, another one came to help, and Hopewell kicked him in the right side of his head, knocking him to the ground. The deputy who was kicked got up and struck the defendant in an effort to get him to stop resisting arrest, and eventually two more deputies arrived, and with their help, Hopewell was handcuffed and taken into custody, the report said.
The deputy who was kicked was transported to St. Anthony’s Medical Center in south St. Louis County, where he was treated for a concussion, a broken finger and injuries to his ear and to the area around his right eye. The deputy had to have stitches near his ear, according to the report.
During the investigation, deputies searched the vehicle Hopewell had been driving and found drug paraphernalia, some with residue on it that was tested and turned out to be methamphetamine, the probable-cause statement said.
The year before, on Feb. 24, 2014, Hopewell was found in the 4600 block of House Springs Center with a syringe and other items with residue on them that tested positive for heroin, the report said.
Hopewell pleaded guilty to assaulting a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance, all felonies, stemming from the February 2015 incident and to possession of a controlled substance, a felony, and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor, tied to the February 2014 incident.
On Nov. 18, Jefferson County Div. 6 Circuit Judge Troy A. Cardona sentenced him to 10 years for assaulting a law enforcement officer and to four years for resisting arrest.
Hopewell also was sentenced Nov. 18 to seven years for drug possession connected to the 2015 incident and to seven years for felony drug possession and 120 days in jail for the misdemeanor tied to the 2014 incident.
The 10-year and four-year terms are to be served concurrently, or at the same time, and the two seven-year terms and the jail term are to be served concurrent with each other. However, the 10-year term is to be served consecutive to the seven-year term, for a total of 17 years, court papers indicate.
Hopewell could be released early, though, if he successfully completes a 120-day treatment program.
Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney Jacob T. Costello handled the resisting arrest and assault of a law enforcement officer case, and assistant prosecuting attorney Angela D. Downing handled the drug cases.
Hopewell previously was convicted of a felony drug charge stemming from a July 2013 incident in St. Louis County and in January, he got five years’ probation in that case, according to court documents.