Damarcus Lamont Kennedy, 19, of St. Louis faces two felony charges following a police pursuit in Arnold. Both Arnold Police officers and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies chased Kennedy while he was driving an SUV reported stolen from St. Louis County, authorities reported.
Kennedy has been charged with first-degree tampering, a class D felony punishable by up to seven years in prison, and resisting arrest, a class E felony that carries a penalty of up to four years in prison.
As of Dec. 29, he was being held in the Jefferson County Jail.
Arnold Police got a call at about 3:20 a.m. Dec. 18 that Sheriff’s Office deputies were chasing Kennedy, who was driving a 2017 GMC Arcadia on I-55 into the city. Arnold Police joined the pursuit when the Arcadia got off the interstate and turned onto Richardson Road, traveling east toward Jeffco Boulevard, a probable-cause statement in the case said.
An Arnold Police officer was setting up stop sticks at the intersection of Richardson Road and Jeffco Boulevard as the SUV approached. Kennedy swerved to avoid the stop sticks and reportedly drove toward the officer, who dove behind his cruiser and avoided being hit. Kennedy continued north on Jeffco Boulevard at a high rate of speed as Sheriff’s Office deputies and Arnold Police continued to chase him with their vehicles’ lights and sirens on, the report said.
Kennedy veered into the southbound lanes and eventually turned onto Church Road, where the Arcadia’s On-Star system was used to stop the SUV near the Lowe’s store in the Arnold Commons shopping center, Arnold Police reported.
Kennedy, along with a 16-year-old Imperial man and a 17-year-old St. Louis man, reportedly tried to run away from the officers, but after a short foot chase, all three were arrested, the report said.
The Imperial teen was wanted on a warrant and released to juvenile authorities, and the St. Louis teen was released to a parent, Arnold Police Cpl. Brett Ackermann said.