St. Louis resident Breonna C. White, 26, has been handed a ten-year prison sentence for her involvement in the shooting of a city police officer. The incident, which led to Officer Erich VonNida sustaining a shoulder injury, occurred during a vehicle pursuit in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood on September 13, 2020. In the events leading to the encounter, White was found to have been driving the Chevrolet Impala that officers attempted to stop, according to a statement from the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office.
The chase began after Officer VonNida, partnered with Officer Cameron Jackson, tried to stop the vehicle on North Broadway Downtown. It escalated when the police deployed spike strips to disable the car but the pursuit continued until gunfire erupted on East Prairie Avenue where Officer VonNida was hit. The involved vehicle was later discovered unoccupied near West Florissant and Alice avenues. Forensic tests matched DNA on the steering wheel to White, who ultimately pleaded guilty to first degree assault and admitted to driving the Impala during the incident, as stated by the Circuit Attorney's Office.
The conviction on these charges comes alongside more grave accusations White faces. Together with 23-year-old Khalil Hughes she has been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. This relates to the deaths of Derrick Hudson, 22, and Jacqueline Griffin, 26, in September 2019 which also took place in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood.
Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore expressed his gratitude towards law enforcement and specifically mentioned Officer VonNida’s bravery. "SLMPD officers put themselves at risk every day to make our city safer by removing violent felons like Breonna White from the streets," Gore said. "We are grateful to Officer VonNida for his personal sacrifice in the line of duty, and wish him a swift recovery from his injury." White's indictment and subsequent sentencing serve to underline the inherent risks that police officers face daily and the legal system's ongoing efforts to address violent crime within the community.
