PINE LAWN, Mo. — The brother of a Pine Lawn alderman was charged with assault after police said he attacked board members during a Monday night meeting, injuring two police officers and two elected officials.
Daniel Metts, who is the brother of Alderman Gerald Metts, was charged with resisting arrest and four counts of assault.
Gerald Metts recently made headlines when body camera footage was released showing his arrest for a drunk driving crash.
North County Police Cooperative Cpl. Benjamin Santoyo said Daniel Metts, who was in the audience at Monday night's board meeting, became frustrated and rushed the seated aldermen. He punched multiple board members and caused injuries to the hip and ribs of an officer who intervened, Santoyo said.
A second officer deployed his stun gun on Daniel Metts and began to arrest him; the officer suffered a knee injury when Metts resisted.
Gerald Metts was in attendance at the meeting but was not involved in the altercation, police said.
Ward 3 Alderwoman Dionne Peeples-Jones, one of the people who was injured by Metts, described what led up to the attack.
“Daniel Metts and several other people were heckling me, sighing and making comments to me during our meeting. I told him, 'You can go home' and so with that Daniel jumped up,” said Peeples-Jones.
“I saw Daniel coming toward me. People are telling me what happened. They’re saying Daniel hit me in the head, hit me in the face. Honestly, I can’t remember. Thankfully, I wasn’t hurt physically, but apparently, I blacked out,” she recalled.
Video of the incident appeared to show Metts knocking over an officer, who fell backward into a podium. He suffered several broken ribs.
“That 35-year-old officer was attempting to stop Daniel. He was doing his job,” said Peeples-Jones.
Another board member was struck while trying to intervene, police said.
“Officers, alderwomen, alderwomen, spectators expected to go to that room and witness or be assaulted,” Santoyo said.
“I’m so thankful for the (North County Police Cooperative) because they were there to serve and to protect, and they protected me that day," added Peeples-Jones.
5 On Your Side spoke to Daniel Metts last month when covering the DUI charge against his brother.
“I find the charges against my brother shocking," he said. "He’s not home now. He has hired a lawyer, and yes, he intends to fight the charges."
Daniel Metts was being held on $150,000 bond.