On June 6, 2009, Officers Joseph Busso and Amon Figgs responded to 2521 Hodiamont for a “Burglary 1^st”.  The officers quickly located the victims and obtained descriptions of the wanted subjects.  The victims were juveniles, ages 12 and 14, who were left home alone.  They provided the officers with pedigree information about the juveniles who had forced open the door to their residence.  Officers Busso and Figgs conducted a further investigation with the information provided to them by the victims.  They located one suspect at his residence, and he was taken into custody.  The suspect was indentified by the victim as the person who forcibly entered her residence during this incident.  The offender was identified as a juvenile and conveyed to the Juvenile Detention Center, where he was held for “Burglary 1^st”.

Although others may have considered this to be a low-priority criminal event, these two officers conducted a full investigation and helped the family find peace of mind.

Officer Busso and Figgs displayed initiative and outstanding investigative skills during this investigation.

During the month of May, Officers Steven Ortbals and Brian North-Murphy arrested 10 individuals resulting in the issuance of 12 felony warrants issued and 5 misdemeanors.  The charges included Tampering 1^st 3 counts, Resisting Arrest (F) 2 counts, Statutory Rape 3 counts (Capias), VMCSL Poss (F) 2 counts, Assault 2^nd, UUW/CCW Federal Prosecution, Misdemeanor Assault 3^rd, and Tampering 2^nd.

The arrest included five subjects operating two stolen trucks.  Officers responded to a call for Shots Fired and developed information from citizens that two stolen trucks were chasing each other in the area and being operated in a very dangerous manner, endangering public welfare.  Officers Ortbals and North-Murphy were able to locate both trucks.  And you’re not going to believe this — both trucks collided with each other trying to elude officers.  All five occupants exited both vehicles and fled the scene.  The Officers’ diligence and dedication to duty resulted in the apprehension of all five subjects and warrants were issued on all five.  One of the subjects was also wanted for stealing a department bait vehicle earlier in the month.

Another arrest was for a subject armed with a .25 semi automatic pistol and a significant amount of Marijuana.  Officers responded to call for a “Shooting”.  After interviewing the victim and noting several inconsistencies in his statement, the Officers discovered a firearm and drugs the suspect had attempted to conceal. A federal charge for a Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm was issued.

All the officers in the Seventh District do such good work every day.  Sometimes it’s not just about a single arrest.  But it’s about consistency and continually fighting the good fight.

On April 24, 2009, Officer Joseph Buehler received a radio assignment for a “Burglary” at 5342 Ridge.  In the course of his investigation, Officer Buehler collected information about the incident and obtained detailed descriptions of the suspects involved.  The officer found out that the suspects had been seen in the area earlier that evening in a red GMC pickup truck, which was now parked across the street from the incident address.  Instead of leaving the area after the assignment, Officer Buehler remained to search for possible suspects.  Shortly thereafter, he located an individual matching a description of one of the suspects involved in the burglary.  This person was now working under the hood of a red GMC pickup, so Officer Buehler stopped and conversed with him.  He subsequently performed a computer check, which revealed the individual had an active warrant for “Resisting Arrest”.  Officer Buehler placed him under arrest for the charge.  The victims of the burglary positively identified him as one of the suspects who burglarized the residence.

Due to the excellent investigative and observation skills of Officer Buehler and his attention to gathering information, a 27-year-old criminal with an extensive arrest history — including 15 felony arrests (3 convictions), and 6 misdemeanor arrests (1 conviction) –was taken off of the street.

On March 3, 2009, Officers Brooks Lindhorst and Brad Ellis received a call for a fight at Union and Lexington behind the Gateway Bank.  On arrival, the officers observed two suspects armed with handguns trying to flee.  They apprehended one of the suspects at 5426 Palm and recovered a Titan .380 handgun, fully loaded.  Case was issued by the Circuit Attorney’s Office.

On March 3, 2009, these two officers were on patrol in the 5100-5200 blocks of Terry — an area known for drug activity.  Seeing the officers, the suspect immediately tried to elude them..  After a foot pursuit, the suspect was apprehended at 5208 St. Louis in possession of a Taurus .40 caliber handgun, fully loaded, and 25 capsules of Heroin.  Case was issued by the Circuit Attorney’s Office.

In addition to these two outstanding arrests, the officers have handled radio calls and affected 12 other arrests with 48 total charges in the month of March alone.

These officers have worked as a team in the month of March by helping to reduce crime in the Seventh District and should be recognized as such for their good work.

On February 25, 2009, Officer Kathleen Suarez received an assignment for a “Domestic Disturbance” at a local business.  Upon arrival, she observed a suspect matching the description provided by the Dispatcher.  As the officer entered the store, she observed the suspect had his hands in his coat pockets.  Officer Suarez commanded the suspect to slowly remove his hands and put them on the counter near him, with which he complied.

As the suspect turned away, he suddenly reached back into his coat pocket and removed a .38 cal. revolver.  Officer Suarez immediately grabbed the weapon and a struggle ensued.  Officer Suarez took control of the weapon and forced the suspect against the counter and tried to handcuff him.  At this point he was able to break free and ran out of the store.  After making sure the victim was all right, Officer Suarez pursued the suspect who escaped..

With a long history between the suspect and the victim, there is no doubt that the actions of Officer Suarez saved the victim and other bystanders from serious physical harm.  Her display of selflessness and bravery is to be commended.

On January 30, 2009, Officers Oliver Ford and Aaron Quarles responded to 5934 Natural Bridge for a call for a flourishing of a handgun.  On arrival, they found three subjects sitting in a car. The driver was wearing clothing matching the description of the armed man given by the caller.

While conducting the investigation, the officers discovered that car the subjects were driving was stolen, and the driver was in possession of a stolen St. Louis City Sheriff Deputy’s firearm.  Also, in the trunk of the car there were numerous items taken in a burglary from surrounding St. Louis County municipalities.  Several victims responded to North Patrol Station and identified their stolen property.

As a result of Officers Oliver Ford and Aaron Quarles being thorough and conducting a good investigation, three criminals were taken off the street and a stolen St. Louis City Sheriff firearm was recovered and taken off the street