JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – Newly released dashcam footage shows a heated exchange between a Missouri state trooper and the man accused of horrific crimes inside a St. Louis County Catholic Supply store.
The footage, recorded during an Oct. 17 traffic stop in Jefferson County, was obtained by 5 On Your Side through a public records request.
The video shows a Missouri State Highway trooper responding to the area of Highway 61 at Highway M around 6:30 p.m. for a reported road rage incident.
Thomas Bruce, 53, claimed another male driver struck him from behind while on his way home from the VFW Post in Arnold. The other driver claimed Bruce cussed him out and was driving aggressively before cutting him off and slamming on his brakes.
"He hit me in the rear," Bruce said repeatedly.
You see in the video Bruce begin to lose his cool after the trooper says his speech is slurred and begins to question if he's been drinking.
"I had a beer. That was it. Doesn't matter," Bruce said.
"It does matter. It does matter because you've been driving," the trooper responded.
Bruce said, "No, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if he hit me in the a**?"
The trooper does begin to do a field sobriety test on Bruce, but never finishes it or try to start a new one.
From there, the situation only continues to escalate.
"I am a citizen! You for me! Alright? Do you understand that?" Bruce said.
"I don't work for you," the trooper responded.
"Yes, you do! I pay your taxes, mother ******!" Bruce fired back.
For the most part, the officer remained cool and collected. However, there was one point where the officer screamed back, "Don't tell me how to do my ******* job!"
Bruce, though, overall was highly combative, aggressive, defiant and difficult. Several minutes went by when he downright refused to get his insurance card for the officer.
"Why aren't you ticketing him?" Bruce repeatedly demanded of the trooper.
The trooper responded, "I am still doing the crash. This doesn't happen in five minutes."
The trooper told Bruce to "relax " numerous times. But it didn't work.
An irate Bruce demanded to know, "Why aren't you asking him for his information?"
The trooper said, "I already got all of it."
But then later, near the end of the traffic stop, there was a dramatic change in tone from Bruce.
He seemed to suddenly calm down and acknowledge the trooper was just trying to do his job.
"I'm a veteran. I respect your duties. I served over 10 years. I've dealt with the Marines, Army, Air Force, Navy. I was in the Navy," Bruce said.
Both men were allowed to leave the scene with crash reports, but no tickets.
Missouri State Highway Patrol defended the trooper on Friday. A spokesman said dashcam videos like this one only show one perspective of the investigation on-site, and that the agency relies on the in-person observations of the trooper involved.
To date, the trooper who interacted with Bruce remains on the job.
About one month after the altercation, police said Bruce sexually assaulted two women and murdered a third inside a Catholic Supply store in West St. Louis County.
He remains in custody.
