Man charged with assault after chase, collision with Perryville patrol car

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A Fredericktown, Mo., man was in the Perry County Jail on Sunday after allegedly being involved in a high-speed chase between 1:20 and 1:30 a.m. Saturday that injured a Perryville police officer.

Donald V. Pickert, 28, is jailed on second-degree assault by operating a motor vehicle in an intoxicated condition causing an injury, according to the Perry County Sheriff's Department and acting Perryville police chief Direk Hunt. Bond on Pickert is $7,500, cash-only, the sheriff¹s department said.

Hunt said the officer was initially trying to stop Pickert for speeding. The officer walked up to the blue 2000 Ford Explorer that Pickert was driving, which belonged to a woman who was with him.

The suspect didn't comply with the officer's request and fled in the vehicle, Hunt said. In an email to the Southeast Missourian on Sunday evening, assistant police chief Bill Jones said officer David Craig gave pursuit and called for back-up and assistance. The pursuit continued onto St. Joseph Street to several side streets, back to St. Joseph and through several yards and private property. The pursuit went behind a business and residential area in the 600 block of West St. Joseph Street, at which time the suspect vehicle and the patrol vehicle came to a stop and the suspect driver continued by accelerating and striking the patrol vehicle head-on, glancing off the patrol vehicle, Jones wrote.

The Explorer continued on St. Joseph Street to Kiefner Street, to Edgemont Boulevard to Church Street, turning through a yard and ending up on Chloe Street where the suspect vehicle traveled about half a block and came to a stop, Jones wrote.

While speeds were initially above the posted speed limit several times during the pursuit, Jones wrote things "slowed considerably" as the suspect drove off the road through yards, ran over several obstacles, including a swing set and a four-foot drop off, damaging the tire and front-wheel assembly.

"This effectively dropped the incident to a slow-speed pursuit," Jones wrote.

The two pursuing Perryville police officers, as well as officers from the Perry County Sheriff's Department took the driver and a female passenger into custody. The female passenger was being held in protective custody, Jones wrote, and no charges are expected to be filed against her.

Hunt said the officer sustained a sprained ankle. The police car, a Chevrolet Impala, has damage to the hood and front-end assembly, he said.

Hunt said other charges pending against Pickert are felony DWI; felony driving while license revoked; felonious restraint; two counts of first-degree property damage; and one count of misdemeanor second-degree property damage.

Hunt said Pickert and the woman had gone on a date, gone into Perryville and "apparently consumed a number of alcoholic beverages in town." She tried to exit the vehicle, but Pickert wouldn't let her get out, Hunt said. She received some injuries, as well, he said.

Case.net online court records show Pickert pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DWI; misdemeanor possession of up to 35 grams of marijuana; and misdemeanor unlawful use of drug paraphernalia, all in Madison County in 2004.

Online records show Pickert also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DWI in 2006, was sentenced to probation and had it revoked in 2007 in St. Francois County.

He also pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident-injury, property damage or second offense, a felony, in St. Francois County, and was sentenced to four years in the Department of Corrections.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address:

Perryville, Mo.