ST. LOUIS COUNTY — Police on Tuesday released surveillance footage of a police pursuit in February that ended when the suspect ran away, fired at officers and was hit by a police car.
The department’s investigation into the officers’ use of force is ongoing.
Police said on Feb. 21 they saw 42-year-old Taiwansley Jackson driving recklessly on Jennings Station Road and Halls Ferry. Officers tried to pull him over but he sped away, weaving in and out of traffic.
In the video, Jackson hits light poles near McLaren Avenue and Goodfellow Boulevard in Jennings before jumping out of the vehicle, holding a pistol, while the car is still moving.
As he is running away in a parking lot from several marked and unmarked police cars, he begins shooting at officers. A police car then hits Jackson from behind, and he goes flying in the air before landing on the concrete and being run over by another police vehicle.
The St. Louis County Police Department released video recordings of a Feb. 21, 2023, incident. Officers said the man had “non-life threatening” injuries; he was later charged with first-degree assault, among other charges. No officers were hurt. Video courtesy of the police department
Jackson was the only one hurt in the incident. His injuries were non-life threatening and officers did not fire their guns, the police department said.
Police can be heard on dispatch audio, also released Tuesday, asking officers to check on residents who live in the direction of where Jackson fired the gun.
Jackson is charged with first-degree assault, armed criminal action resisting arrest by fleeing and unlawful possession of a firearm. Jackson was in jail Tuesday on a $500,000 cash-only bond, police said.
The video was released as part of the department’s transparency efforts, where they aim to release relevant footage within 45 days of when an officer uses force.
The full incident report video can be seen here.