Nov. 06--A Pine Lawn police officer collapsed and was hospitalized early Sunday morning after a vehicular pursuit that ended in a foot chase.
Officer Richard Cooper, 34, spotted a vehicle with temporary plates and containing four young men wearing black T-shirts and gloves cruising a neighborhood several times throughout the night, said Police Chief Ricky Collins. When Cooper tried to pull the subjects over about 3 a.m., the driver attempted to ram Cooper's patrol car and the chase began.
The pursuit, which included police cars from several municipalities, lasted about 20 minutes and travelled through St. Louis County, University City and ended in St. Louis near Maple Place, just east of North Skinker Boulevard.
After trying to ram another patrol car, the suspects ran. Cooper collapsed while chasing them. He was standing up and responsive by late afternoon Sunday, but Collins said he did not know the cause of his collapse.
Search dogs and a helicopter searched for the four men, but none has been apprehended. The car they were driving had been reported stolen.
Cooper has only been with the force for a few months, Collins said.
"The gloves were a sign that they did not want to leave finger prints and when they tried to ram him, that was assault on an officer, so he followed pursuit policy," Collins added.
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