A Missouri man accused of fleeing from a sheriff at up to 80 mph apparently decided that crashing his truck did not have to mean the end of his escape. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office says he ran into the woods, entered a body of water, swam to the other side, and simply continued fleeing.
The unusual pursuit began after HCSO Detective Kubilus investigated the theft of a Missouri license plate on September 24. During that investigation, authorities developed information that 24-year-old Clinton resident Christian Hunter Thompson was possibly driving a white Ford Ranger displaying the stolen plate.
Sheriff Aaron Brown spotted the Ford Ranger near Brownington at approximately 5:46 p.m. and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The sheriff’s office says Thompson instead fled at speeds reaching between 70 and 80 mph while traveling into opposing lanes and running stop signs.
The Ford Ranger eventually crashed on NE 1270 Road in St. Clair County, but police say Thompson was not ready to call it an evening. He left the vehicle, ran into a wooded area, and entered a body of water with Brown pursuing him as far as the water’s edge.
Truck, Foot and Water Still Aren’t Enough To Escape
Embedded media follows; please give it a moment to load.
Police say Thompson swam across the body of water, reached the opposite side and continued running. With the Ford Ranger out of the equation and Thompson now somewhere beyond the water, authorities turned the pursuit into a larger multi-agency search.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol established a perimeter while multiple K9 teams searched the area. MSHP air support was also requested, while two residents arrived with four-wheelers for deputies to use while navigating the difficult terrain.
The search finally ended when MSHP Trooper Winesburg and HCSO Deputy England located Thompson and took him into custody. For all the changes in his method of escape, the sheriff’s office said the incident ended without further danger to the public.
Jail Records Show $50,000 Bond and Parole Detainer
Henry County jail records show Thompson was booked by the Henry County Sheriff’s Office at 11:19 p.m. on September 24, several hours after the pursuit began. The booking record lists resisting arrest, detention or a stop by fleeing while creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death, a parole detainer, leaving the scene of an accident involving more than $1,000 in property damage, and first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle.
The sheriff’s office said Thompson had outstanding warrants for leaving the scene of an accident and resisting arrest by fleeing, carrying a $50,000 cash-only bond, as well as a parole violation stemming from an original robbery charge. Authorities also said he had a Henry County felony warrant for leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with a motor vehicle with no bond.
The jail record lists the $50,000 amount alongside the leaving-the-scene charge and no-bond amounts alongside the resisting, parole-detainer, and first-degree vehicle-tampering entries, with a September 29 court date listed for the leaving-the-scene charge. The sheriff’s office said additional charges stemming from the September 24 pursuit were forwarded to the Henry County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for review and remained pending at the time of its announcement.