ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department tells FOX 2 that bodycam video is under review of an encounter that followed a police car crash early Monday morning into Bar:PM.
Chad Morris, the co-owner of Bar:PM, was arrested in that encounter, which happened around 12:30 a.m. Monday as he prepared to close the bar.
A SLMPD crime summary report from earlier this week alleges that one officer in the crash attempted to calm the situation after Morris made profane remarks. It also asserts that Morris shoved that officer in the chest before he was arrested.
Morris’ attorney, Javad Khazaeli, tells FOX 2 that’s not what happened and is calling on police to release bodycam footage of the incident.
Lt. Col. Renee Kriesmann of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department says bodycam video is “being reviewed.”
In recent days, FOX 2 has been working to gather answers from police on questions regarding the crash, including whether the officers were given a toxicology test for alcohol and/or drugs and what the policy is for the department investigating crashes that involve fellow cops.
Kriesmann addressed some of those inquiries on Wednesday during a virtual media briefing.
She says that the officer behind the wheel admitted to being distracted before crashing into Bar:PM and was changing his in-car radio just before the collision. In a previous account of what happened, a police officer reportedly informed one witness that the driver swerved to avoid a dog moments before a crash.
Khazaeli shared surveillance video of the crash from a distance with FOX 2. The video shows the police car swerve left moments after passing a parked car and crash into the bar about two seconds later.
Kriesmann says no toxicology tests were taken after the crash. She says the officer immediately expressed remorse for the crash.
Kreismann also mentioned that the cruiser does not have a dashcam. A vehicle inspection indicated the police cruiser was traveling below speeds of 40 MPH before crash and decreased to low 20s before impact.
Meanwhile, Morris was released from prison on Tuesday with reduced charges. The investigation into the crash and what followed remains ongoing.
