Officers chase down fleeing stolen-vehicle suspect

An armed man led several law-enforcement agencies on a foot chase Tuesday through Perry County and into Ste. Genevieve County before being arrested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Perry County sheriff’s deputies went to a car collision at 3:44 p.m. on Interstate 55 several miles north of Brewer, Missouri. Deputies were informed the 38-year-old male driver had stolen a SUV in Arkansas and was responsible for the crash on the interstate, according to Perry County Sheriff Gary Schaaf.

The suspect fled on foot into a wooded area near the crash with a handgun that was in the car when it was stolen.

Officers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Ste. Genevieve County and Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, joined Perry County deputies in pursuit. Schaaf said the man was found after crossing the border into Ste. Genevieve County and taken into custody at 5:33 p.m. The man had the handgun tucked into his waistband on his lower back, but he surrendered peacefully.

“I think he was worn out,” Schaaf said.

The highway patrol’s Troop C could not be reached for comment on the identity of the man, where the SUV was stolen and details about the accident on the interstate.