Belleville man charged with ramming a Fairview Heights police car with a stolen truck

A 29-year-old Belleville man has been charged with ramming a Fairview Heights police car with a pickup truck reported stolen.

Cameron C. Medley was arrested the next day after a witness saw him leave the woods near Pleasant Ridge Park in Fairview Heights, according to a news release from the Fairview Heights Police Department.

Police gave this account of what happened:

A stolen truck was seen in the Walgreens parking lot at 6505 N. Illinois St. in Fairview Heights on Tuesday night.

“Officers were aware that the vehicle had been involved in several recent crimes in the area,” the news release said.

When officers attempted to arrest the driver, he placed the truck in reverse and rammed a squad car and nearly hit police officers before driving across a ditch.

The truck driver, later identified as Medley, fled north at a high rate of speed on North Illinois Street and drove through multiple red lights.

No injuries were reported to the officers or other motorists but the squad car was damaged.

On Wednesday morning, the stolen truck was spotted near Pleasant Ridge Park and later in the day a resident saw a man leaving the woods in the same neighborhood.

The resident called police and officers were able to capture Medley after a brief foot pursuit into the woods.

The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Medley with the following felony offenses:

▪ Two counts of aggravated possession of a stolen motor vehicle

▪ Possession of a stolen registration

▪ Attempted unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle

▪ Criminal damage to government supported property

Medley was being held in the St. Clair County Jail on Saturday in lieu of $100,000 bond.