CHESTERFIELD, Mo. – A former Florissant officer is accused of beating up a man and making threats while he was off-duty, following a crash last week in Chesterfield.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Preston Caruso with third-degree assault and first-degree harassment amid the investigation.
Records from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch indicate Caruso joined the Florissant Police Department in 2020. Court documents state he was an off-duty officer at the time of the crash.
A spokesperson with the Florissant Police Department confirmed to FOX 2 that Caruso is a former officer of the department but would not disclose other details on the charges or his past employment.
According to the Chesterfield Police Department’s probable cause statement, the crash happened around 5 p.m. on Oct. 1 on Interstate 64 near Long Road.
When Chesterfield officers arrived at the scene, they noticed one man who was “trembling and bleeding from the mouth.” Investigators later learned that a man was involved in the crash and beaten up afterwards.
Court documents allege that Caruso accused the victim of not having insurance and making multiple verbal threats, some involving expletives. The victim reportedly captured some of his encounter with Caruso on an audio recording. Caruso allegedly made remarks such as “Welcome to America” and “I tell you what, if you blame [the crash] on me, I’m going to [expletive] you up,” according to a probable cause statement.
The victim told officers with the Chesterfield Police Department that he was in fear for his life during his encounter with Caruso, per court documents. Investigators say the victim was visibly upset with his hands shaking.
While investigating, the Chesterfield Police Department learned that Caruso was an off-duty police officer, according to court documents.
Authorities issued a warrant for Caruso’s arrest on Wednesday, though it’s unclear if he has been taken into custody, according to Missouri court records.
NOTE: This investigation is a different case than a FOX Files report on Wednesday, which noted that road workers were arrested in south St. Louis County after they claimed an off-duty officer attacked them.
