JEFFERSON CITY — An effort to crack down on motorists attempting to flee police has won approval in the Missouri House and is now awaiting action in the Senate.
The proposal, which moved out of the House Wednesday on a 107-25 vote, creates the felony offense of aggravated fleeing a police stop. A person could be charged with the crime if they keep driving when they know a law enforcement officer is attempting to detain or stop the vehicle.
The legislation has been named “Valentine’s Law†in honor of ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Police Detective Antonio Valentine who was killed Dec. 1, 2021, in a head-on car crash in Bellefontaine Neighbors while working with other drug unit detectives conducting an investigation in the area.
People are also reading…
It has bipartisan backing in the Senate with support from Sen. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette, and Sen. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance.
In the House, the sponsor of the measure, Rep. Justin Sparks, R-Wildwood, said tougher penalties could ensure people who endanger public safety are held accountable.
“Doing what any police officer would, Detective Valentine knew what was coming and willingly took the hit to prevent a chase from causing any further risk or harm. Valentine’s Law is a testament to our commitment to upholding the rule of law and safeguarding the brave men and women who serve on the front lines,†said Sparks, who formerly served as a ºüÀêÊÓƵ County police officer.
A Senate version of the proposal was sent to the House in early March. is part of a larger package of crime-related changes sponsored by Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville.
Police and members of the public say they are seeing an alarming increase in motorists driving erratically and fleeing from the police after committing a crime, placing the public and police officers in danger.
During floor debate, Rep. Lane Roberts, R-Joplin, urged his colleagues to vote in favor of the measure. Roberts, who was police chief of Joplin and served as the state’s director of the Department of Public Safety, said he has experienced the grief of losing officers under his command.
“When you look at their faces and you see the pain and you hear the anguish, and then you’re given an opportunity like this to actually do something about it, it would be irresponsible to the point of dereliction for us to fail to do something about it,†Roberts said.
In ºüÀêÊÓƵ County, officials said they counted 2,700 incidents in which people sped away from police last year.
In Valentine’s case, the vehicle that crashed at high speed into the detective’s unmarked van was fleeing from police near Chambers Road and Crete Drive.
The crash happened near a shopping center with a Family Dollar store, and left car parts and other debris strewn across the road.
Valentine, who was assigned to the county’s Bureau of Drug Enforcement, also was a combat veteran of the Iraq War and had recently retired from the Air Force Reserve.
Specifically, the offense of aggravated fleeing a police stop kicks in if the driver operates a vehicle at a high rate of speed or in a way that creates a risk of serious physical injury or death.
A motorist could be charged with a class D felony without eligibility for probation, parole, or conditional release until the person has served at least one year of his or her sentence.
If a death is caused, the charges could be increased to Class A felony carrying a sentence of a minimum 10 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years or life imprisonment.
“Valentine’s Law pays tribute to Detective Tony Valentine’s legacy and serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by our law enforcement officers across the state each day,†said House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, in a statement.
The legislation is Hous