Dexter man placed on probation in police assault case

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Dexter, Mo., man was placed on probation Thursday in connection with a September assault of a Dexter police officer.

Terry W. Mace, 45, was sentenced to four years in the Missouri Department of Corrections by Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield, who then suspended the execution of that sentence, and placed Mace on five years' supervised probation, according to entries in Casenet, Missouri's online court reporting system.

Mace earlier had pleaded guilty resisting arrest before Presiding Circuit Judge Stephen Sharp.

Originally charged with second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, Mace had been accused of attempting to cause physical injury to Dexter police patrolman Kevin Moore on Sept. 12 by shoving him.

At the time of Mace's plea, Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver filed an amended information with the court because, he said, the facts and circumstances of the case fit the "statutory language" of resisting arrest better than the second-degree assault Mace originally was charged with.

In addition to the "usual conditions" of probation related to Mace's offense, Satterfield set five special conditions: undergo substance abuse evaluation as directed by his probation officer and follow all directives; submit to chemical tests when requested by his probation officer or law enforcement personnel; not consume alcohol or enter any place where it's the main item sold; pay costs, excluding jail board, within 12 months; make restitution in the amount of $1,838.84; and attend an anger management course and follow all directives.

Mace's 21-year-old son, Austin Mace, pleaded guilty in December to second-degree assault in connection with his role in the assault and was sentenced to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

The younger Mace originally was charged with the first-degree assault on a law enforcement officer. He had been accused of causing serious physical injury to Moore on Sept. 12 by striking the officer with a closed fist and causing him to fall against a concrete sidewalk curb.

The Maces were charged in connection with an incident that began when Moore and Lt. Larry Patterson responded to a report of a fight in progress on the west side of the McDonald's parking lot/Dr. Kane's office in the 900 block of West Business 60.

Moore, according to Det. Cory Mills' probable-cause statement, arrived shortly before Patterson and found a large crowd of people on the south end of the parking lot.

It later was determined Austin Mace, his brother, Aaron Mace, and their father allegedly were fighting, Mills said.

Moore, Mills said, ordered Terry Mace to stop fighting, and the elder Mace allegedly shoved the officer.

Mills said Moore deployed his departmentissued Taser, striking Terry Mace, who fell to the ground.

At that point, Mills said, Patterson approached the elder Mace to assist in handcuffing him.

"Just prior to Lt. Patterson contacting Terry Mace, Austin Mace rushes from the crowd toward Patrolman Moore," Mills said. "Lt. Patterson observes Austin Mace has both fists doubled up and was swinging wildly at Patrolman Moore, [who was] unable to see Austin Mace approaching."

Patterson, Mills said, saw Austin Mace allegedly strike Moore on the left side of his face with a closed fist.

Moore, Mills said, became unconscious and fell, striking the concrete edge of the sidewalk with the right side of his face.

Moore, who was non-responsive and bleeding, was taken by ambulance to Missouri Southern Healthcare and subsequently flown to a St. Louis hospital for further treatment for what Mills described as multiple facial fractures.