Ex-police officer sentenced for lying about crash with stolen car during pursuit

A former auxiliary Washington Park police officer who chased a stolen Cadillac while on a suspended license and outside of his jurisdiction was sentenced to probation Wednesday for obstruction of justice in the case.

Anthony L. Davis Jr., 26, was sentenced to 24 months on probation for obstructing justice. He took a plea deal that dismissed his two official misconduct charges.

Davis was cited by a Illinois State Police officer in June 2016 for obstructing his identification, driving on a suspended license and failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident. He did not have an Illinois driver’s license but did have an Illinois identification card. Davis was terminated from the police force after the crash.

As Davis drove a marked Washington Park squad car on State Street near North 47th Street in East St. Louis, a Cadillac passed him at a high rate of speed, ISP told the News-Democrat after the crash. Davis turned on his emergency lights and sirens and chased the driver.

When the Cadillac driver stopped the car a few blocks later, Davis drove into the car. The car came to a rest in the middle of State Street, and the driver of the Cadillac drove away, then abandoned the car a short distance away. Davis was not injured.

Davis originally reported the crash as a hit-and-run, but after police interviewed him, he admitted to pursuing the vehicle.

Davis was sentenced to probation on the second chance probation statute, which allows someone who has not previously been convicted of a felony and has pleaded guilty to obstructing justice, among other things, to have another chance on probation.

This story was originally published January 10, 2018 at 10:29 PM with the headline "Ex-police officer sentenced for lying about crash with stolen car during pursuit."