Moment St. Louis cop crashes his speeding patrol car into Bar:PM – then officers arrest one of the owners who was upset about the damage
A St. Louis police officer rammed his patrol car into a popular gay bar Monday morning, leading to the arrest of one of the establishment's owners after an altercation with police.
Chad Morris, 37, was arrested and charged with assault after an altercation outside Bar:PM, which he co-owns with husband James Pence.
The couple's attorney, Javad Khazaeli, posted surveillance video of the crash on social media on Tuesday.
'You all heard about the police car that crashed into Bar PM on Sunday evening. And they arrested the owner for having the audacity to question him. Well, here's the video,” Khazaeli wrote in a tweet.
An associated clip showed a patrol car driving down a dimly lit road, almost passing a parked vehicle before swerving sharply to the left and crashing into the bar.
A St. Louis police officer drove his patrol car into a popular gay bar Monday morning before arresting one of the bar's owners following an alleged altercation
Surveillance footage shows the car driving down the road, almost hitting a parked vehicle before swerving to the left and crashing into the bar
The bar's co-owners, Chad Morris (left) and James Pence (right), went outside after the crash. Morris was arrested and charged with assault after allegedly pushing an officer
Morris and Pence live in an apartment above Bar:PM. Pence said KSDK TV he was in bed when he heard “a loud bang” around 12:30 p.m.
“I jumped up thinking it was a vehicle accident, and then I saw it, and it was a St. Louis Police Department vehicle in front of our building,” he said.
According to an incident report from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, an officer drove too close to a parked car and overcorrected before losing control of the vehicle.
An “perpetrator” then came outside and “began yelling obscenities,” the report said. When officers who arrived after the crash “attempted to calm the situation,” the unnamed perpetrator shoved an officer before being arrested.
Officer John Pierce wrote that Morris “hit me hard in the chest with an open hand, causing me to temporarily lose my balance.”
He added that Morris tried to flee after being told he was under arrest, “going through a gate and then trying to hit me with the gate.”
However, the couple and their lawyer dispute that the department is retelling the events.
Pence said he was handcuffed because he refused to show his ID. “I was told I had to identify myself or keep my mouth shut.”
He admitted that Morris had grabbed an officer, but claimed it was “out of defense because they already had me in handcuffs.”
According to an incident report, an officer drove too close to a parked car and overcorrected before losing control of the vehicle
Officer John Pierce claims Morris hit him in the chest with an open hand before he was arrested
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones released a statement confirming that the incident is currently under investigation
Khazaeli shared parts of another video with reporters outside the city jail on Tuesday.
The footage, captured by a bystander, shows Pence confronting officers about the crash. Officers eventually handcuff him when he questions why they need to see his identification.
Morris arrives and asks why his man is handcuffed. He uses obscenities, and officers can be heard calling the bystanders and Morris “clowns.”
Morris tries to leave a nearby alley, but several officers follow. Morris then asks if they have a warrant. He is eventually led back out in handcuffs and resists the officers' attempts to wrestle him into the back of a police van.
Khazaeli claims his client was beaten off camera in the alley.
Morris was released Tuesday morning. Prosecutors reduced the charge of third-degree assault on a special victim to fourth-degree assault and resisting arrest, two felonies.
Before his release, Khazaeli answered questions from reporters outside the justice center as Pence stood behind him.
Pence said he was handcuffed because he refused to show his ID. He admitted that his man had grabbed an officer, but claims it was “out of defense.”
Morris was originally charged with one misdemeanor, but the charge was changed to two felonies
The couple's lawyer, Javad Khazaeli, accuses the police of 'trying to cover up what happened that day'
“We have seen the probable cause statement written by the police in which they allege that our client assaulted an officer. We've also seen videos from people showing what happened at the scene, but that's not what happened. The police were clearly the aggressor here,” the lawyer said.
Khazaeli gestured to Pence and said police handcuffed him “because he had the nerve to ask why they crashed into his building.”
He claimed one of the officers said, “You're under arrest for yelling at me,” calling the actions a “public disturbance.”
The lawyer further accused the police of “trying to cover up what happened that day.”
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones released a statement confirming the incident was under investigation.
“Bar:PM has provided members of the LGBTQIA+ community with a gathering place and refuge from a society that continues to marginalize their existence, and incidents like these can undermine the already fragile trust in law enforcement,” she said.
“This incident is currently under investigation and officers will be held accountable for any misconduct committed while on duty.”
It is unclear whether the officers involved in the crash or confrontation have been suspended from their duties. Dailymail.com contacted the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department for comment.