ST. LOUIS — Two videos shared on Tuesday by an attorney for a south ºüÀêÊÓƵ bar owner show a police SUV crashing into the bar and part of the aftermath that led to the bar owner being arrested on charges of assault and resisting arrest.
The videos clear up some questions about what happened early Monday outside of Bar:PM, a popular gay bar in the city’s Carondelet neighborhood, but they produce several more.
The bar’s co-owner, 37-year-old Chad Morris, was charged with third-degree assault and misdemeanor resisting arrest after the crash. Police claimed he pushed an officer and ran from them.
One of the videos, posted on social media by Morris’ lawyer, Javad Khazaeli, is 15 seconds of security footage that shows the police SUV speeding down South Broadway before swerving unexpectedly and slamming into the building.
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“It’s insane. The car is flying,†Khazaeli said Tuesday. “If I did this, I would be cited.â€
It is unclear why the SUV swerved. James Pence, Morris’ husband and another co-owner of the bar, said police initially told him they had swerved to miss a dog. Officers later recanted and said they swerved to miss a parked car — the same explanation that police gave reporters.
The video shows the SUV swerving near a parked car, but the SUV does not appear close to hitting it.
Police did not respond to multiple requests for more information about the incident and Khazaeli’s accusations. They denied a Sunshine request for dashcam footage of the incident, citing an active investigation.
The second video, captured by a bystander after the crash, was nearly 30 minutes long. Khazaeli would not release it, but he showed parts of it to reporters at a news conference Tuesday outside the city jail.
In that video, which includes sound, Pence is seen confronting officers about crashing into his bar in an interaction that Pence described Tuesday as “loud and vocal.†Pence and Morris live in an apartment above the bar.
Pence demands to know how they crashed into the building, and officers eventually handcuff him when he questions why they need his identification.
The confrontation then escalates again when Morris shows up and asks why his husband is cuffed. He uses obscenities, and officers can be heard calling the bystanders and Morris “clowns.â€
Morris tries to leave down an alley, but several officers follow him. Morris then asks if the officers have a warrant.
The video doesn’t show what happens in the alley, but Morris is eventually taken back out of the alley, handcuffed and visibly injured.
He resists the officers’ efforts to subdue him and get him into the back of a police van.
The portions of the video that Khazaeli showed reporters did not capture a shove by Morris.
Two officers, both with less than a year of experience, were in the SUV when it crashed.
A veteran on the force — 56-year-old John Pierce — showed up with another officer to investigate the crash. He’s the officer who claimed he was assaulted by Morris, according to charging documents.
Morris was released from jail on Tuesday on his own recognizance, which means he did not have to put up money for bond. Khazaeli said his assault charge was downgraded on Tuesday from a felony to a misdemeanor.
He had several visible bruises, including on his eyelid, when he briefly addressed reporters outside the jail after his release.
“I just want to say I’m really glad to be out,†Morris said. “It’s been an emotional time, but I am happy for the support.â€
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Mayor Tishaura O. Jones on Tuesday evening to show support for the bar.
“Incidents like these can break an already fragile trust with law enforcement,†Jones wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This incident is under investigation and the officers involved will be held accountable for any and all misconduct.â€
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Aldermanic President Megan Green also calling for the immediate release of dash and body camera footage from the incident and for Morris’ charges to be dropped.
Crowds packed the bar Tuesday night to show support. Regulars said the turnout was exceptional so early in the week — and no surprise for a bar treasured as a safe space by many gay men.
“This is not a replaceable bar,†said Keith Rose, a patron and local activist. “For some people, this is their only bar.â€
Post-Dispatch staff writer Austin Huguelet contributed to this report.