Police chase: Officers fire into driver's van after she tries to run them down

BY CAROLYN P. SMITH - News-Democrat

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BROOKLYN -- A woman led police on a chase into Missouri early Wednesday, and at one point, police fired into her van before they were able to arrest her.

The woman's identity was withheld by police pending charges. She faces a number of traffic-related charges, and the van she was driving was reported stolen.

She also might face charges for trying to run over police officers.

Brooklyn Police Chief Delbert Marion said that when police finally captured the suspect, she appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

About 7:10 a.m., Brooklyn police spotted the suspect driving recklessly at Seventh and Jefferson streets. A police officer tried to stop her, but she disobeyed his sirens and red lights and sped away.

Police believe the 34-year-old woman is from Granite City.

Marion said the suspect came out on Illinois 3 driving south. She crossed the center line and ran some northbound vehicles off of the roadway.

Marion said his officer followed the suspect to the East St. Louis city line, Because of the heavy morning traffic heading into St. Louis, he was about to terminate his pursuit.

But "a dispatcher called and said the vehicle the driver was in had been stolen out of Granite City. The officer followed the suspect across the Poplar Street Bridge," Marion said.

The driver went into the Lumiere Place casino parking lot and stopped. St. Louis police were called, Marion said.

The two Brooklyn police officers involved in the chase thought they had the car stopped. When they tried to approach the vehicle, the driver put the vehicle in reverse and began to back up, attempting to run the officers over, Marion said.

The officers fired shots into the vehicle, but the driver was not hurt. The officers' names were not released.

"The suspect drove off of the casino parking lot and struck a vehicle on Broadway," Marion said. "The female suspect ended up going into a hotel parking lot at Third Street and Broadway Avenue in Missouri. She jumped out of the vehicle and ran off. The Brooklyn police officers jumped out and ran after her. They caught her attempting to climb a fence."

The woman is in police custody in Missouri while St. Louis officials conduct an investigation, Marion said.

Contact reporter Carolyn P. Smith at 239-2503.

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