St. Louis man arrested after vehicle pursuit with police in Sikeston

SIKESTON — A St. Louis, Missouri, man faces a felony resisting arrest charge after leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit through Sikeston during the daytime on Saturday, March 9.

Richard A. McClain, 25, of St. Louis is charged through Scott County with felony resisting arrest/detention/stop by fleeing and creating a substantial risk of serious injury/death to any person and misdemeanor driving while revoked/suspended, first offense, according to online court records.

According to the probable cause statement, at 11:26 a.m. Saturday, an officer with Sikeston Department of Public Safety observed a vehicle traveling eastbound on East Gladys Street fail to stop at the stop sign at the intersection of East Gladys and Pine streets. The officer said he activated his emergency lights and conducted a vehicle stop near the intersection. The officer exited his marked patrol unit and began approaching the vehicle, but when he got halfway to the vehicle, the vehicle accelerated away from him at a high rate of speed. The officer returned to his patrol unit and a vehicle pursuit ensued.

According to the probable cause statement, the vehicle traveled west on Courtney Avenue at a high rate of spaped and turned northbound onto Elm Street. While on Elm Street, the officer observed the vehicle go airborne from the dips in the road and the speed traveled. The vehicle then turned onto East Malone Avenue and onto North Main Street. At a high rate of speed the probable cause said, the vehicle crossed from the right lane to the continuous center lane. It turned west on Lake Street and continued west until arriving at the intersection fo Lake Street and North Prairie Street. Once at that intersection, an occupant exited the vehicle and was quickly detained by other officers in the area.

After the occupant exited, the vehicle traveled north on North Prairie Street and then west on to Tanner Street, the probable cause said. From Tanner, the vehicle traveled north on North Kingshighway where speeds reached between 70-80 miles per hour in a posted 40 mph zone. While traveling on North Kingshighway, the vehicle swerved into the southbound lanes of traffic, almost striking another vehicle head-on.

The vehicle contined north on North Kingshighway and began traveling west on West Salcedo Road (State Highway Y) where the pursuit remained until the operator pulled the vehicle over near the intersection of Y and County Road 599 and came to a stop, the probable cause said. The driver, who was later identified as McClain, exited the vehicle and followed the officer’s commands to get on the ground. Then two backseat passengers exited the vehicle and at followed the officer’s command to get on the ground. Additional officers arrived on scene, and all subjects were detained.

There is no bond set. McClain waived his formal arraignment Tuesday, March 12 and entered a plea of not guilty. A bond reduction hearing is set for 10:30 a.m. March 20. He remained in the Scott County Jail as of Tuesday.