What started as a traffic stop over a vulgar license plate ended up turning into a police pursuit through Missouri. The chase ended up finishing with a crash, a foot chase, and a taser deployment.
Howell County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Robert Malone attempted to stop a motorcycle on May 24 at 7 pm after noticing it had an odd license plate. The plate was a non-state license plate that read ‘RUN THIS,’ with an obscene gesture in the center.
Instead of pulling over for the police, the rider sped off and began the pursuit. Eventually, the pursuit moved onto Division Drive, where the driver took on dangerous speeds with children present in the area.
Eventually, officials determined things to be even more risky due to the number of residents who were nearby. Eventually, the driver lost control of the vehicle, but that didn’t stop him from trying to continue the chase on foot.
Driver Speeds off Instead of Stopping
The motorcyclist was identified as 40-year-old Dustin Knapp of Myrtle. Knapp had driven quickly through West Plains before eventually going noth on Highway 63. At several points throughout the chase, Knapp appeared to stop the bike before accelerating again.
Eventually, the chase came to an end when Knapp lost control of the motorcycle, but that didn’t stop him from continuing to evade police. After a short period of resistance, a taser was used, and Knapp was taken into custody.
Knapp had already been on probation for a different conviction related to driving while his driver’s license was revoked, as well as possession of controlled substances. He was sent over to Howell County Jail, where he is held on a $25,000 bond with a different no-bond warrant issued by Probation and Parole.
What Did His Tag Say?
His tag said ‘RUN THIS,’ with an image of a middle finger in between the words. The imagery itself was blurred in the original post for the sake of obscenity.
As a result of the arrest, formal charges have been issued, including:
Reactions To Vulgar License Plate and Chase
Various commenters were quick to jump into the comments to leave their opinions behind, with many condeming the motorcyclists for leading police on a chase to begin with. One person wrote, “I’m not in the habit of making excuses for cops but it’s reasonable to pull someone over for that. Vulgar or not, it’s not a valid plate. If he hadn’t fled and put others in danger he might have gotten off with a warning.”
Similarly, another commenter wrote, “Don’t run in Howell County. Very simple. Great job 👏 👍” Others poked fun at the driver, with another comment saying, “I think his run this tag failed him lol…fool ran on a bike… and on foot and failed 
how tf.”
Local authorities did not release additional identifying information. When agencies provide limited details, we supplement reporting with local news coverage, public records, and direct outreach whenever possible. In this case, no additional information was available at the time of publication.