Cape Girardeau police chase ends at Town Plaza

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been corrected to reflect that the police department truck was struck by the suspect's car, but the truck didn't strike the car.

The start to Joseph Enderle's workweek was anything but mundane.

The U.S. Marine Corps veteran was working with his fellow Canedy Sign and Graphic employees on a sign at the Town Plaza in Cape Girardeau one minute, and the next he was chasing down and tackling a man suspected of stealing a car from Sikeston, Mo.

Enderle watched as police chased the suspect around the corner of the building that houses the Kerasotes Town Plaza Cinema near the corner of William Street and Kingshighway and decided to get in on the action.

Enderle said he asked his supervisor, "Can I get him?" and then took off after the suspect. Police credited Enderle with stopping the suspect while they caught up. Enderle said he was never scared, just doing what he thought was right.

"He wasn't going to do anything," Enderle said. "I had a bunch of cops behind me."

The suspect was one of two arrested by Cape Girardeau police Monday morning after a car chase that police department Sgt. Rick Price said never reached high speed. Police hadn't yet released the identities of the car's driver or its passenger, but Cpl. Adam Glueck said they were a 26-year-old Sikeston man and a 24-year-old Cape Girardeau man. Charges hadn't been filed against the two by Monday afternoon.

The chase began when a Cape Girardeau patrol officer tried to stop the suspected stolen car after a traffic violation at Pacific and Morgan Oak streets, Price said. Police pursued the car north on Pacific Street to William Street, then west to Park Avenue, north to Independence Street, west to West End Boulevard, north to Themis Street, west to Caruthers Avenue and finally into the Town Plaza shopping center.

Price said the speed of the suspect car likely didn't exceed 45 miles per hour during the entire chase, and the suspect driving the car was yielding for oncoming traffic at intersections. At some points during the chase, the driver opened the car door as if to jump out, and speeds slowed dramatically, Price said.

The driver of the suspected stolen vehicle drove behind the Town Plaza Cinema building, and struck the police department's animal control truck -- which had joined the effort to stop the car and was parked on the side of the building -- as it rounded the corner, Price said. The driver then jumped out of the car while it was in gear, and the car went backward and hit another police cruiser, Price said.

At that point, police say the driver ran, while a passenger stayed with the suspected stolen car.

The foot chase ended when Enderle tackled the running suspect, Price said.

msanders@semissourian.com

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