ST CLAIR, Mo. — A woman was arrested and charged after police said she intentionally struck a man who was putting up Christmas lights on a bank in St. Clair, Missouri.
Jemma Allen, 41, was charged with second-degree assault and resisting arrest in connection with a Monday morning incident at Sullivan Bank on North Main Street.
According to charging documents, Allen drove her 2016 Kia Soul at about 9:30. One side of the bank lot was blocked off by a crew who was setting up Christmas decorations on the bank.
Charging documents said Allen tried to force her way into the blocked portion of the parking lot so she could use the drive-thru, but there was a lift and totes of lights on the ground. One of the crewmembers tried to tell her the drive-thru was closed, but she started arguing with and cursing at him.
When the man walked away from her and bent over to pick up one of the totes, she accelerated and struck the man, charging documents said. The charging documents said the man fell onto the hood of the car and held on as Allen sped through the parking lot.
He was thrown from the hood and onto the ground just before Allen sped off the parking lot, according to charging documents. Police said he suffered noticeable bruising but no apparent broken bones.
Police found Allen and her car at a home about a mile away. Police said while they were taking her into custody, Allen tried to pull away from an officer.
Allen was booked at the Franklin County Adult Detention Center and was being held on a $100,000 bond.
Resources for crime victims
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support victims of crime. Crime Victim Center’s programs range from direct services to crime victims as well as “creating awareness and change within the systems they encounter.”
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been the victim of an incident that caused trauma.
The Bullet Related Injury Clinic (BRIC) is a community-based clinic in St. Louis that helps people heal after they have been injured by a bullet. The BRIC was established to help people who are discharged from the emergency department after being shot.
