Motorist in jaw-dropping video actually admits to officer why he crashed 'on purpose' into back of his parked police vehicle
Police in Fairview Heights, Illinois, said an officer pulled over a vehicle around 9 a.m. Wednesday for having an expired license plate sticker. Fairview Heights is about 20 minutes east of St. Louis.
The stop was on Old Collinsville Road about a quarter of a mile south of Frank Scott Parkway, police said, adding that the police vehicle was fully marked with activated emergency lights.
'I been drinking, and I took some weed pills.'
The officer began walking up to the pulled-over vehicle from the passenger side when a gray 2018 Chevrolet Camaro slammed into his squad car from behind, police said.
The impact of the crash "was so hard it pushed the squad car into the vehicle in front of it and impaled them together," police said.
The driver of the Camaro quickly exited and approached the officer, who had his body camera activated, police said.
The motorist asks, "What happened?"
The officer replies, "You tell me."
The motorist states, "I need a new car."
Soon the the officer instructs the motorist to get out of the street and sit on the sidewalk, and the driver — who says he's all right and was alone in his car — complies.
"I been drinking, and I took some weed pills," the motorist tells the officer.
Soon he adds, "I got insurance, but it ain't gonna cover that, though."
Later, as the motorist hands over what appears to be his driver's license to the officer, he offers a stunning admission to the cop: "I did that on purpose, sir."
"Why's that?" the officer inquires.
"I'm bored," the man answers.
But it gets better.
Soon, as another officer stands behind the motorist, still sitting on the sidewalk, the officer asks, "So you ran into the back of me on purpose?"
"Yup," the motorist replies.
Again, the officer asks, "Why's that?"
"I hate cops, man," the motorist answers.
The entire exchange is noticeably calm and cordial, even when the officer handcuffs the motorist.
Content warning: Language:
Fairview Heights Police said Illinois State Police were called to the scene to conduct an impartial investigation into the incident that was captured on video.
Police said the motorist was arrested and transported to county jail.
The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office on Friday filed the following charges against 28-year-old Keajion L. Jennings of Belleville, Illinois, police said:
- one count of criminal damage to government property;
- two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon;
- one count of aggravated battery with a motor vehicle.
The Belleville News-Democrat added that Jennings also is charged with aggravated assault for allegedly placing Officer Travis Montgomery "in reasonable apprehension of being struck by a vehicle while Montgomery was in close proximity to his squad car."
Jail records indicate that Jennings was arrested and booked the same day as the motor vehicle crash; there is no bond listed for him. A Monday court date also is listed in jail records, which showed him as still incarcerated Tuesday morning.
The State’s Attorney’s Office also filed a pretrial petition seeking to detain Jennings, arguing that his release before trial would "pose a real and present threat to community safety," the News-Democrat also reported.
Police said the two individuals inside the pulled-over vehicle in front of the police cruiser were not injured — and were given a warning for the expired license plate; the officer speaking in the bodycam video wasn't injured, as he was outside his police vehicle at the time of the crash.
Citing charging documents, the News-Democrat reported that the crash left the police cruiser with more than $10,000 in damage.
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