What police say started as a narcotics surveillance in north St. Louis turned into a 100 mph chase through city streets, with an officer dragged alongside a car and spike strips finally shredding all four tires. A 45-year-old St. Louis man, Deshawn Demyers, is now facing felony counts of first-degree assault, resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance.
According to KMOV, a probable-cause statement says detectives had been watching Demyers near 13th Street and Cass Avenue after receiving tips that he was selling narcotics. Officers followed him into a parking lot and ordered him out of the vehicle. The statement says an officer then saw Demyers reach through the front seat as if he were grabbing or hiding a gun, and the officer reached into the car just as Demyers put it in drive.
"The officer attempted to reach into the car and was dragged a short distance while his arm was trapped inside," the probable-cause statement reads. Police say Demyers then led officers on a chase that hit speeds of up to 100 mph, with his vehicle cutting into oncoming lanes and blowing through stop signs and traffic signals before officers deployed spike strips that flattened all four tires. He was taken into custody after his vehicle became stuck during an attempted U-turn, according to KMOV.
Legal Context
Prosecutors have charged Demyers with first-degree assault, which Missouri law defines as attempting to kill or knowingly causing serious physical injury. The offense is ordinarily a Class B felony under RSMo 565.050. Resisting or interfering with an arrest can range from a misdemeanor to a felony, depending on whether a vehicle was used and whether the fleeing created a substantial risk, under RSMo 575.150. Penalties for possession of a controlled substance vary by drug, quantity and prior record; summaries of the current statute appear on resources such as FindLaw.
Police Pursuits and Public Safety
The chase highlights just how risky vehicle pursuits can be for officers and everyone else on the road. A 2024 investigation by the San Francisco Chronicle found that federal data likely undercounts pursuit-related deaths and that crashes tied to police chases kill hundreds of people each year.
St. Louis officers have turned to spike strips in other recent cases to stop fleeing drivers, including incidents where spike strips cut short suspects' getaway and ended chases, as reported in coverage of an alleged gang member nabbed during music video shoot.
What’s Next
Court documents list the charges against Demyers but do not include an arraignment date in public reports. Prosecutors will determine how the case moves forward, and additional details are expected to surface in upcoming court filings and local docket entries.
