http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-120-mph-police-chase-st-louis-050510,0,570373.story
120mph Police Chase Winds Around St. Louis Metro Area
Andy BankerFOX2now.com
10:37 PM CDT, May 5, 2010
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ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2Now.com) - A North St. Louis County police chief captured incredible video of a long, dangerous, high speed chase through St. Louis City and County, into Illinois, then back to St. Louis. Velda City Chief, Daniel Paulino, caught about 12 minutes of the pursuit with his dashboard camera. Paulino stopped after the suspect allegedly threw his pregnant girlfriend from the car in the 4600 block of Farlin. There was even a brief video clip of the woman shortly afterward.
Paulino broke from the pursuit to help her. "By the naked eye, I could the see suspect pushed the female that was in the car or she jumped out of the car," Paulino said. "She landed on the concrete on the side of Farlin, where she sustained some injuries to her left knee."
The video also showed the suspect driving on sidewalks; into oncoming traffic; trying to ditch pursuing officers.Speeds reportedly reached 115 miles per hour.
Paulino and his camera picked it up not long after it all started around 2:30 Wednesday afternoon, with undercover St. Louis City officers trying to stop the suspect's blue Mazda 6; the suspect weaving dangerously "in - and - out" of traffic on East bound I-70, from North County, into the City of St. Louis. He had already, allegedly, rammed a Woodson Terrace police car.
A short time later, the suspect drove onto a sidewalk, zipping past bystanders in North st. Louis; police backing off for the people's safety; getting directions from a police helicopter. Then, the suspect headed into oncoming traffic around Fairgrounds Park, before slowing down and allegedly throwing the woman from his car. The suspect headed into Illinois.
"My first reaction, was to stop," Paulino said. "I knew that she was hurt just be looking at her and her movement. My initial thought was we're so safety concious all the time, I've got to stop and give her aid. They can go after the suspect and hopefully catch him later."
They did, at the suspect's home in the 4500 block of Harris in North St. Louis.
"It was like a TV movie or something," neighbor Eva Miller said.
News helicopters showed the suspect running from his car into the home.
"We surrounded the house," said St. Louis Police Lieutenant, Jeff Souders. "We finally got someone inside to come to the door. We went inside and took him into custody...he was hiding up in the closet."
"All of these cops started pulling up, getting out, drawing guns, and stuff," Miller said. "I've never seen anything like that; only on TV."
Police said the woman was about six months pregnant and was out of the hospital Wednesday night.
They did not release the suspect's name. He remained locked up pending charges ranging from assault to resisting arrest.
Police did not say why undercover officers tried to stop the suspect in the first place.
