St. Louis County officer dies after crash
St Louis County MO Dec 3 2021 A St. Louis County police detective was killed and another was injured as a result of a two-vehicle crash Wednesday afternoon in north St. Louis County, acting police Chief Kenneth Gregory said.
The deceased officer was identified as Antonio Valentine, 42, who had been with the county department since 2007. Gregory said the other detective who was with Valentine was treated for minor injuries and released. His name was not released.
A man driving a Volkswagen Jetta that collided at a high speed with the two officers’ unmarked Dodge Caravan also died, department spokesman Sgt. Tracy Panus said in a statement released Wednesday night.
Panus on Thursday identified the driver of the Jetta as 33-year-old Alfred Mayes of St. Louis.
The impact of the crash left the other driver’s mangled car on one side of the road, and the engine on the other side.
Gregory held a briefing Wednesday night from Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where the officers were taken
“Grieve with us. Support us. Support the family for all that they’re going through and we’ll get through this the best way we can,” Gregory said.
The crash, which was reported about 2:10 p.m., happened near Chambers Road and Crete Drive, Panus said.
She said county drug unit detectives in a separate vehicle from the one driven by Valentine were conducting an investigation and had attempted to stop the Jetta, which instead sped away on Chambers Road.
Valentine and the other detective in the Caravan were about a mile away and responded to the area. The detectives’ Caravan and the Jetta, still speeding, converged at Chambers Road near Crete Drive, Panus said.
She added that the Jetta had been reported stolen in October. That vehicle’s driver, whose name has not been released, was also taken to a hospital, where he later was pronounced dead. The investigation is continuing.
The crash happened near a shopping center with a Family Dollar store, and left car parts and other debris strewn across the road.
The chaotic scene left 19-year-old Je’Bria Wood shaken, even hours later. She came upon the aftermath of the crash as she was driving to a grocery story on Chambers Road. She said she saw officers giving CPR to two people as police vehicles were rushing past.
“I’ve never seen anyone give someone CPR before,” she said. She was saddened when she heard later that the officer had died. “Police lives matter. They do. The good outweighs the bad.”
St. Louis police blocked off roads to allow a clear path for the ambulances as they were en route to the hospital. Shortly after the crash, dozens of officers gathered outside Barnes-Jewish, awaiting news.
Valentine was assigned to the county’s Bureau of Drug Enforcement, Panus said, adding that he was also a combat veteran of the Iraq War and only recently retired from the Air Force Reserve.
The BackStoppers organization announced Wednesday night that it will be assisting Valentine’s family and noted that he had children. The local nonprofit provides financial support for the families of first responders in the St. Louis region who die in the line of duty.
After Valentine’s death was announced, condolences began pouring in from police and fire departments throughout the region on their social media pages. The St. Louis County police Facebook page also posted about it, asking for prayers for Valentine’s family, co-workers and friends, and noted the death “has shaken our department.”
Valentine was dragged by a driver during a traffic stop in January 2015. Valentine accused Maurice Worthy of dragging him about 300 feet down the road before breaking free, and suffered minor leg, elbow and hip injuries, police said. While being dragged, Valentine fired at least three shots toward Worthy but missed.
A jury found Worthy not guilty of first-degree assault on a law enforcement officer and armed criminal action in 2018.
