Shots fired at Cape Girardeau officers, patrol vehicle rammed during chase

Two men are in police custody after shooting at officers and ramming a patrol vehicle during a chase across state lines Saturday night, according to Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Joey Hann.

Hann stated via text message Sunday all officers are safe and no one was injured in the incident.

The chase began at about 10:55 p.m. when Cape Girardeau police officers attempted to stop a Ford F150 truck on Kingshighway near Southern Expressway, according to Hann.

The truck failed to yield to the marked patrol vehicle’s lights and sirens, Hann stated, and the vehicle continued in the direction of Highway 74 and the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge.

The driver of the truck, later identified as 31-year-old Charles A. Franz Jr. of Cape Girardeau, then intentionally rammed an approaching second patrol vehicle, Hann stated.

Tire spikes were deployed in an area with low traffic in an effort to safely end the pursuit, according to Hann, but the truck swerved past the spikes and began to cross the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge into Illinois.

Officers continued their pursuit into Illinois where the passenger of the vehicle, later identified as 25-year-old Cameron W. Cook of Scott City, began firing a rifle at the officers, Hann stated.

The truck wrecked near Illinois Route 146 and Route 3, according to Hann, and Cape Girardeau officers intercepted Franz before he could flee.

According to Hann, Cook fled from the wrecked vehicle but was caught by officers after a brief foot chase.

Franz was arrested and is being held on a $50,000 cash-only bond for charges of felony assault on a law enforcement officer by ramming the patrol vehicle and felony resisting arrest, Hann stated, and Cook was arrested on existing warrants from another agency.

According to Hann, both men are being held at the Tri-County Justice and Detention Center in Ullin, Illinois. Additional charges are pending in Illinois from the Illinois State Police for firing at officers and resisting arrest.

Phone operators at the Tri-County Justice and Detention Center were contacted Sunday, but said they were unable to provide any information pertaining to the case until Tuesday.