OSAGE BEACH, Mo. — An on-duty officer with the Osage Beach Police Department was killed early Saturday morning, Aug. 31, while involved in a high-speed pursuit.
At a press conference at City Hall on Saturday morning, OBPD Chief Todd Davis shared the officer’s name, Officer Phylicia Carson. He also shared the currently available details about the incident.
Officer Phylicia Carson was a secondary pursuit vehicle in a pursuit that began on westbound Highway 54 at around 1:18 a.m., in the area of Passover Road.
The pursuit continued onto Route Y and then onto Route A, Davis explained.
He said a Camden County Deputy reported an Osage Beach Patrol vehicle off the road. The vehicle was on fire.
Davis reported the vehicle that had allegedly fled police was also later found to be crashed off the road, and the suspect was taken into custody. Camden County Prosecutor Richelle Grosvenor noted she had not yet received a probable cause statement but anticipated one, and she said the suspect was currently on a 24-hour hold.
photo by Nathan Bechtold/LakeExpo
Grosvenor also pointed to a new Missouri law called “Valentine’s Law” that went into effect on Wednesday, Aug. 28. The law, RSMo 575.151, allows a person who flees law enforcement in a high-speed pursuit to be charged with a felony. In all cases of a high-speed pursuit, the person may be charged with a Class D Felony (one to seven years in prison). If the incident results in the death of a person, the individual who fled can be charged with a Class A Felony (ten to thirty years, or life in prison).
photo by Nathan Bechtold/LakeExpo
Davis said Osage Beach had not lost a police officer in the line of duty during his 30-year tenure with the City. He added that Officer Carson leaves behind a husband and six children. He, Mayor Michael Harmison, and Grosvenor all asked for the community to keep Officer Carson’s family in their thoughts and prayers.
Watch LakeExpo.com for information about any charges filed in connection with this incident.
photo by Nathan Bechtold/LakeExpo
