Metro-east man pleads guilty to federal charges after kicking, choking Arch park rangers

An East St. Louis man pleaded guilty in a federal district court to charges that he assaulted U.S. Park Rangers during 2021 traffic stop.

Antinone Lamont Hawkins, 38, admitted Judge Catharine D. Perry of the East District of Missouri. in the that he had been drinking when he kicked one ranger in the face on the grounds of the Gateway Arch on the St. Louis riverfront and tried to choke another at the jail.

According to court records, Hawkins was stopped by rangers in the parking lot of the Old Cathedral on Feb. 28, 2021. He was in the driver’s seat with an open bottle of beer and a carton of beer in the backseat, the federal complaint says.

Hawkins gave his name to the rangers but refused to provide identification and refused to keep his hands on the steering wheel before becoming confrontational, the rangers alleged.

When rangers tried to handcuff Hawkins, he struggled and resisted, stomping on one ranger’s foot and kicking him in the leg. When rangers tried to put him in a patrol vehicle, he kicked a ranger in the face, court records state.

During a struggle in jail, Hawkins grabbed a different ranger by the throat.

At his sentencing March 23, Hawkins could face up to eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both on each count, according to a release from the court.

This story was originally published December 19, 2022 at 5:21 PM.