ST. LOUIS – The public defender representing a man accused of driving drunk and causing a crash that claimed the life of a St. Louis police officer opted to waive his client’s bond review at a hearing Wednesday afternoon.
Ramon Chavez-Rodriguez, 24, is facing several charges, including DWI resulting in the death of a law enforcement officer, exceeding the posted speed limit, and driving without a valid license.
His initial court appearance on Sept. 24 was continued to allow his defense team time to find an interpreter. Records show Chavez-Rodriguez “does not have legal status in the United States,” though his nation of origin was not disclosed.
Chavez-Rodriguez appeared before Judge Catherine A. Dierker at the Carnahan Courthouse in downtown St. Louis. He was led into the courtroom attached to nine other male defendants awaiting their own hearings. They sat in the jury box for the duration.
An interpreter sat next to Chavez-Rodriguez in the jury box to relay the charges set against him.
Shawn Goulet, a public defender from St. Louis County, waived Chavez-Rodriguez’s right to a bond hearing, citing holds in place from St. Charles County Circuit Court and federal immigration authorities. As a result, Chavez-Rodriguez will remain in jail.
This is not Chavez-Rodriguez’s first run-in with the law. In 2020, he was investigated for a domestic violence incident in St. Peters and later convicted. He was on probation for that assault charge out of St. Charles County when the crash occurred.
Wednesday’s court proceeding lasted a little more than a handful of minutes. Judge Dierker scheduled a preliminary hearing for Oct. 30 at 10 a.m. Afterward, Goulet spoke with his client through the interpreter. That conversation lasted longer than the hearing.
Goulet spoke with reporters outside the courtroom. He was displeased with some in the media focusing on taxpayer dollars being used for Chavez-Rodriguez’s interpreter. Goulet pointed out that if a person from another country gets into trouble in the United States, they should be able to understand the charges against them as well as the court proceedings.
Goulet, a public defender for approximately 20 years, decried the political climate in the U.S., adding that it’s in a terrible state. He said his client shouldn’t be demonized in the media and that the public should let the legal system do its job.
“Justice will work its way through here,” Goulet said before leaving the courthouse.
The crash itself happened on Sunday, Sept. 22, when Officer David Lee was responding to a single-car crash on Interstate 70 EB near Grand Blvd. According to police, Lee was moving traffic cones when Chavez-Rodriguez allegedly lost control of his vehicle, striking the officer and pinning him against his patrol car.
Officer Lee, a highly respected 18-year veteran of the department, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but died in surgery. He was 44 years old.
According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s probable cause statement, Chavez-Rodriguez’s blood alcohol content was 0.10 two hours after the crash, which is above the legal limit.
Officer Lee is survived by his wife, two children, his mother, and his sister. Visitation for the fallen officer will be held on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church. A funeral service will immediately follow.
