Police Chief PITs fleeing suspect - Branson Police Department - Branson, MO

On 6/25/2024, CCTV footage at the Midwest Inn showed two individuals stealing parts off a Ford F‑150. The suspects were in a black Dodge Journey with “For Sale” written on the windows.

The following day, the suspect vehicle was spotted at a gas station. The passenger, later to be identified as the girlfriend of the driver, left the vehicle and went into the gas station. Officers approached the vehicle to make contact with the driver, but the driver fled, leaving his girlfriend behind. One officer detained the passenger while the other officer returned to his vehicle to follow the suspect.

Due to heavy tourist traffic on West 76 Country Blvd, pursuit was not authorized. There were a high number of officers in the area, though, so the vehicle was quickly spotted. After the driver fled from additional units several more times, Police Chief Eric Schmitt attempted to follow the vehicle in his unmarked pickup truck.

Chief Schmitt briefly lost sight of the vehicle as the suspect drove into a residential area with several dead end streets. After a few moments, Chief Schmitt located the vehicle at the end of one of those streets. The suspect noticed the unmarked vehicle and fled again, glancing off the front corner of the chief's truck. With lighter traffic in the area and the continued reckless behavior of the suspect, the chief initiated pursuit.

After being brake-checked by the suspect, Chief Schmitt executed a PIT maneuver, sending the Dodge into a drainage culvert. The suspect was detained and held without bond until entering a plea agreement in January 2025.

Felony charges included:

Stealing - $750 or more (Class D)
Resisting arrest by fleeing (Class E)
Property Damage - 1st Degree (Class D)

Sentencing information available at the end of the video.

0:00 Intro
1:27 Next day
5:38 Spotted again
7:33 Walmart
9:23 Lightning McQueen
9:43 Chief Schmitt
11:00 Pursuit
13:40 TVI

Map courtesy of GISGeography
https://gisgeography.com/missouri-map/

Mugshots obtained from Missouri Department of Corrections Offender Search
https://web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb/