Jesse Bell, 40, and Gregrey Tyler, 22, both of Dittmer, have been charged with five felonies each for allegedly leading Jefferson County deputies on a chase and firing shots at a deputy’s car on Nov. 15, according to court documents.
At about 5:30 p.m., deputies got a call about an attempted robbery in progress in the 8700 block of Canyon Lane in Dittmer. When a deputy arrived, Bell and Tyler were allegedly loading a Ford tractor onto a trailer attached to a 1992 Chevrolet 3500, the report said.
The deputy activated the patrol car lights, and Bell got into the driver’s seat and reportedly drove away with Tyler in the passenger’s seat. Deputies pursued the pickup on Hwy. Y, and as the pursuit drew near Harbison Road, Tyler allegedly fired three shots at a patrol vehicle, the probable-cause statement in the case said.
No one was struck by the shots, the report said.
The pursuit continued for several miles on gravel and unlit roads before the pickup drove over spike strips on Hwy. Y and Squirrel Lane and again along the highway. The tires on the pickup were deflated, and it stopped in the 1100 block of Click Road in Washington County, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Bell and Tyler attempted to run away, but they both were arrested after a short foot chase. Bell allegedly fell in an area with chopped wood on the ground and ran through thorns, scarring his face during the chase, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
The tractor was not secured on the trailer and fell off in De Soto during the pursuit, the probable-cause statement said.
Also during the pursuit, the pickup turned onto Hwy. WW from Canyon Lane in Dittmer, and a 2002 Nissan Xterra turned onto the road as the deputy approached the intersection, and the patrol car was unable to avoid the Xterra and ran into it, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that Deputy Zachery M. Reed was driving the patrol car, a 2014 Ford Taurus; James M. McKinney, 40, of Dittmer was driving the Xterra; and Megan E. McKinney, 36, of Dittmer was a passenger in the Xterra, the report said.
Both the McKinneys had minor injuries and were transported by Valle Ambulance to Mercy Hospital South in south St. Louis County, where they were treated and released, a hospital spokesman said.
Megan McKinney and the deputy were wearing seat belts, but James McKinney was not wearing a seat belt, the patrol reported.
The patrol car and Nissan were totaled, the report said.
Deputies also discovered the pickup, which was valued at $3,000, had been reported stolen in Jefferson County. The ignition on the pickup had been damaged, and the pickup was heavily damaged during the pursuit, the probable-cause statement said.
The tractor was valued at about $1,500, the report said.
Bell and Tyler have each been charged with first-degree assault, a class A felony; first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle and stealing, both class D felonies; resisting or interfering with an arrest, a class E felony; and armed criminal action, an unclassified felony, court records show.
A class A felony carries a penalty of 10 to 30 years or life in prison. Each of the class D felonies is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a class E felony carries a penalty of up to four years in prison. The armed criminal action charge is punishable by three to 10 years in prison, depending the number of times a person has been convicted of the offense.
The men were being without bond in the Jefferson County Jail, a jail spokeswoman said.