Off-Duty Police Officer Shoots At Car On I-70

ST. LOUIS, MO — A Velda City police officer fired shots at a driver on Interstate 70 Tuesday after police say that driver tried to run the officer over. The Post-Dispatch reports the 32-year-old officer was not injured. It's not clear if the driver was.

The incident happened on I-70 eastbound near exit 245 around 4:30 Tuesday afternoon when a car sped past the officer and lost control. Authorities said the officer was in uniform but off-duty and driving his personal vehicle, not a police cruiser.

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When the police officer pulled over and got out of his car to help, the driver tried to run him over, according to police. The officer pulled his gun and fired several shots at the car, described as a dark-colored sedan, which hit the officer's vehicle, hopped a curb and crashed through a fence before driving away on Bircher Avenue, which runs parallel to the interstate for about a mile.

The Post-Dispatch reports the vehicle was later found abandoned about a mile south of the interstate, in the 4400 block of Harris Avenue.

No further information has been released. Anyone with information should contact St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers toll free at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477). All callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward. Tips can also be submitted through the CrimeStoppers website or free app.

Read more from the Post-Dispatch.

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