ST CLAIR, Mo. — A man who was shot by a St. Clair police officer after police say he dragged the officer during a traffic stop was charged on Monday, authorities said.
Franklin County prosecutors charged David Hill with two felonies: second-degree assault on a special victim and fleeing arrest while creating a substantial risk of injury or death. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner involving an accident.
According to the St. Clair Police Department, officers pulled Hill over shortly after 7:30 p.m. at Highway 30 and Bardot Street for failing to stay in his lane and on the road. A witness behind Hill told police he had been swerving out of his lane into oncoming traffic, according to a probable cause statement.
As the officer was conducting an investigation, police said Hill began digging around in his car.
"Officers observed him to be visibly intoxicated an odor of intoxicants were detected corning from or about the vehicle," the probable cause statement said.
When told to stop and asked why he was digging around, Hill said he didn't know, police said. He was then asked for his license, at which point he put his car into drive and "accelerated sharply," disobeying when officers told him to stop.
As he accelerated, one officer was "unable to separate himself from the vehicle" and was dragged, police said. The officer fired his gun and struck Hill in the arm. Hill kept driving, and the officer was able to free himself.
Officers pursued Hill, who was speeding in the oncoming traffic lane, then lost sight of him, the probable cause statement said. They then found him parked behind the Gun Shack, an indoor gun range about a half-mile away on North Commercial Avenue. Hill was still in the vehicle and was taken into custody.
Hill and the officer were both treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol was asked to conduct an external investigation as part of standard protocol.
Hill's bond was set at $100,000.