A Festus man jumped off a bridge in north St. Louis County in an attempt to avoid being arrested after he allegedly tried to hit a St. Louis County Police vehicle that was attempting to stop a pickup he was driving, authorities reported.
Jack Jeffrey Roper, 56, of Festus was arrested today, May 22, after jumping off the Chain of Rocks Bridge into the Mississippi River. He was arrested on the riverbank after emerging from the water, St. Louis County Police reported.
After he was arrested, Roper was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to St. Louis County Police.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Roper with two counts of second-degree assault, each a class B felony; aggravated fleeing a stop or detention, a class D felony, and second-degree kidnapping, a class D felony, according to court documents.
As of this afternoon, he was being held on a $500,000 cash only bond, court records show.
According to the case’s probable-cause statement, an officer at about 1:30 a.m. attempted to stop a Chevrolet pickup, which Roper was driving on the Chain or Rocks Bridge, due to it having a license plate registered to an Audi. Roper allegedly fled from the officer, who called in other officers to help in the pursuit.
Roper allegedly swerved at a police vehicle, that had three officers inside during the pursuit. The officer driving the vehicle took evasive action to avoid a collision, the report said.
Several officers joined in the pursuit of the pickup, and spike strips were used in an attempt to stop the fleeing vehicle, according to the report.
During the chase, Roper allegedly crossed the Chain of Rocks Bridge into Illinois, but he drove back onto the bridge to return to Missouri. He then stopped the pickup, got out and threatened to jump, the report said.
Officers attempted to negotiate with Roper, but he threw a piece of wood into the river and then jumped into the river, according to the report.
Two other people were in the pickup, and a man who was inside the fleeing vehicle told police they both told Roper to stop, the report said.
Roper has previously been convicted on charges for possession of a controlled substance and aggravated driving while intoxicated. He also was driving with a revoked license at the time of his arrest, police reported.