Man arrested in McKinley Bridge incident was charged in fatal stabbings of hairstylist, 2 customers
Darrell Lane is accused of speeding through roadblocks as police were investigating the death of Brooklyn Officer Brian Pierce
By KMOV.COM STAFF
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VENICE, Ill. (KMOV) — The driver who sped through police barricades following the death of Officer Brian Pierce, Jr. on the McKinley Bridge Wednesday morning was previously accused of committing a triple murder.
Pierce was struck and killed by a driver fleeing police as he was putting out spike strips around 3 a.m. on the bridge, and officers barricaded off the area where he was hit to investigate.
Court officials say while that investigation was underway, 34-year-old St. Louis resident Darrell Lane drove around the roadblocks while speeding and crashed into several police vehicles, nearly hitting officers.
Officers from the Brooklyn Police Department and Madison County Sheriff’s Department fired shots at the car, hitting Lane, and he was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. All four people who were in Lane’s vehicle at the time were taken into custody, police said.
Lane was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude police.
The aggravated assault charges are Class 3 felonies and are punishable with up to 25 months of probation and/or 2-5 years in prison. The aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer charge is a Class 4 felony, and is punishable with up to 30 months of probation and/or 1-3 years in prison.
Lane is currently being held in St. Louis awaiting extradition to Madison County. He is not charged with anything related to Pierce’s death. Lane was previously charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a hairstylist and two customers at a salon in Belleville in 2005. At the time authorities said bloody fingerprints were found in a car. He was acquitted of the charges in 2010.
The car that struck Pierce was later found abandoned in St. Louis, and at this time, police have not announced a suspect is in custody.
Visitation for Pierce will be held at John Logan College in Carterville, Illinois from 2:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. on Friday August 13. A first responder walkthrough will take place during the visitation at 6:00 p.m. The funeral will be held at John Logan College the next day at 11:00 a.m. All those attending the funeral or visitation are asked to wear a mask. Piece will be interred at Blairsville Cemetery in Blairsville, Illinois. Memorial donations can be made clicking here.
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