Charges filed against suspect in chase which prompted lockdown

Charges have been filed against the driver in Thursday’s chase through parts of Jefferson City, which ended in a crash and prompted two nearby schools to go on lockdown.

The chase started on Missouri Boulevard when police ran the plate of a car on Missouri Boulevard and found it to be stolen from St. Louis. They tried to stop the car, but the driver kept going. The chase continued on Missouri Boulevard and Highway 50; at one point, police say the driver went the wrong way on 50, nearly hitting a patrol car not involved in the pursuit.

The chase ended at the intersection of Eastland and East McCarty when the suspect car hit another vehicle, injuring that driver. With the stolen car disabled, the suspect tried to run on foot but was caught soon after.

Police have identified the suspect as Charles Thompson, 19, of Jefferson City. He’s been charged with tampering with a motor vehicle, assault, resisting arrest, and leaving the scene of a crash.

Thompson is currently awaiting sentencing for burglary following a conviction in March. He was acquitted of murder and armed criminal action in the same case, in which Johnny Evans was shot and killed in February 2015. Thompson’s bond was reduced from $500,000 to $25,000; he bonded out of jail in early April.

The chase prompted police to put two nearby schools – Lewis and Clark Middle School and East Elementary – on lockdown. Jefferson City Public Schools spokeswoman Amy Berendzen says East Elementary was put on a “soft lockdown,” meaning the children were brought inside the school as a precaution.