Parson orders flags at half-staff for fallen Osage Beach police officer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Flags at government buildings in Miller and Camden counties will be flown at half-staff on Thursday in honor of fallen Osage Beach police officer Phylicia Carson.

Carson died during a chase on Saturday. According to a crash report, Carson crossed the middle of Route A east of Toronto Springs Park Road in Camden County during a pursuit when her patrol car began to skid, veered off the road, struck a tree and caught fire. She was 33.

Gov. Mike Parson ordered flags to be at half-staff, according to a Wednesday press release.

“Officer Carson was a member of the Osage Beach Police Department for just under a year, but in that short period she made a difference for Osage Beach and contributed to an enduring legacy of public service,” Parson said in the release. “As Officer Carson prepared to enter into a law enforcement career, she wrote ‘As a mother of six children, I want to know I can make a difference in the area I am raising my children. I want to show my children how to grow up and be outstanding members of society.’ These are values we can all embrace, regardless of our careers. Teresa and I lift up in our prayers Officer Carson’s husband, Miller County Deputy Sheriff Grant Carson, and their children, Teighan, Raye, Emlyn, Roma, Chevy and Rhenner.” 

The release says that Carson was a recipient of the Missouri Blue Scholarship program and graduated from the University of Missouri Law Enforcement Training Institute on Sept. 14, 2023. She was commissioned as an Osage Beach police officer the next day, the release says. She served in Camden and Miller counties and lived in Miller County, the release says.

Christopher Aaron Bishop Wehmeyer, 23, of Camdenton, was charged Saturday with aggravated fleeing from a traffic stop resulting in death. Wehmeyer allegedly told investigators that he was racing, court documents say. He told them he saw police lights in his mirrors but chose not to stop, the probable cause statement says.

The judge in the case was recused “due to conflict,” and the case was forwarded to the presiding judge for assignment, a Wednesday court entry says. Wehmeyer has a hearing set for 8:30 a.m. Friday. He is being held at the Camden County Jail without bond.

A candlelit vigil was held on Tuesday evening. Carson's funeral will be held Thursday.