On August 10, 2019, my beloved brother, Antonio McAfee, was killed, and his two sons (names withheld) were seriously injured in a car accident due to racial profiling, the use of spike strips and an unlawful, unwarranted and unprovoked  pursuit by SWAT and police of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department in St. Louis, Missouri. My brother and nephews were committing no crime. Yet extreme measures of pursuit were inflicted on them simply because they were black. The unjustifiable incident occurred as follows:

Antonio McAfee arrived at the BP Gas Station located at 2005 North Florissant in the City of St. Louis with his two sons, for the purpose of acquiring change. The family then intended to go to a local department store to buy clothes and school supplies for Antonio’s youngest son (a minor), for the upcoming school year. 

As Antonio’s oldest son waited in the customer line for change, Officers Matthew Tesreau and Michael Flatley pulled into the BP parking lot in their patrol car. Antonio’s oldest son posed no threat to anyone, had no criminal record, and did not have a firearm. According to Officer Tesreau’s written statement regarding the incident, his attention was automatically drawn to Antonio’s oldest son because he was “a young black male with a satchel”. Nothing in Officer Tesreau’s radio calls indicates that he was acting suspiciously or trying to evade officers. In fact, Antonio and his sons sat in the car in the parking lot for several moments after the officers pulled up. The vehicle then remains in place for twenty-one seconds after Officer Tesreau approaches. 

Of note, Officer Tesreau approaches the vehicle with his hand on his gun. Roughly 20 seconds later, Officer Flatley approaches the opposite side of the vehicle with his hand on his gun, it is only then that Antonio makes the decision to drive away. Video surveillance of the incident clearly shows that Antonio did not speed off, attempt to hit an officer, or display any threatening behavior. He drove away slowly and carefully. The video also shows that as Antonio drove out of the parking lot, an officer darts out into the street and throws a spike strip in front of the vehicle. This spike strip created multiple holes in the tires of Antonio's vehicle, which caused a devastating accident, resulting in his death and in serious injury to both of his sons. And as if that were not cruel enough, the money that Antonio’s youngest son had for clothing and school supplies was stolen by the police at the scene of the accident as well, and never returned to him.

Not only did these officers’ conduct violate the United States Constitution, it also violated the City’s Standing Order 5-05 by engaging in a police pursuit without probable cause of a violent felony occurring, deploying a tire deflation device despite being dangerous and unwarranted, and continuing to pursue the suspect vehicle when it was dangerous to do so. 

This entire ordeal that led to Antonio McAfee’s tragic and untimely death, was caused by an officer assuming a young black male with a satchel must be carrying a firearm or drugs.

I, Antonio McAfee's sister, must convey to everyone who reads this petition, the kind of man that my brother was. He loved his family and made spending quality time with them his first priority. He was a cheerful giver. He was a hard-working man who made an honest living. Although he did not have a perfect past, he took pride in making positive changes in his life and becoming a better person. He was truly the tie that bound us and our extended family together, and he had a smile and sense of humor that was infectious. To know him was to love him. He is missed by family, friends and loved ones, beyond words. As you have read, on the day of his death, he was innocently taking his sons to shop for school supplies and clothes. Had he lived, he had planned to take his grandchildren and nephew on an outing to the St. Louis Zoo the following day. But that day of joy with his family will never come for my brother, because those who are supposed to protect and serve, ambushed him and abruptly robbed him of his life. No family should have to experience the pain and devastation that my family and so many other black families have experienced due to the growing number of the unjustified deaths of our loved ones at the hands of police.  

Antonio McAfee would have protected his family at any cost, up to and including laying down his own life, which he ultimately did. I believe wholeheartedly that if he had not carefully driven off that gas station lot in a desperate attempt to get himself and my nephews out of harm’s way, we would sadly be mourning the deaths of three loved ones instead of one. I am certain that every black man in America would feel threatened and fear for his life if he is suddenly approached by two police for no reason whatsoever, both with their hand on their guns...my brother felt no different. 

Our hearts are broken. Please pray for us and join us in our fight to ban the use of all tire deflation devices (spike strips, spike belt, tire shredders, stingers, stop sticks) by police in St. Louis, Missouri by signing this petition and encouraging others to sign as well.

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Please note the following incidents that have also resulted in death and/or serious injury and property damage due to the use of spike strips by police in the state of Missouri:

Headline: St. Louis police used spike strips before fatal crash, but won’t say if they were pursuing stolen Jeep

Date: Friday, May 6, 2022

Location: St. Louis, Missouri - spike strips tossed at North Taylor Avenue and Delmar Boulevard to try to flatten the tires of a Jeep stolen out of Herculaneum in April. The crash happened 2 blocks east in the 4200 block of Delmar Boulevard.  

Incident: Police used spike strips to try to stop a speeding vehicle before it crashed into a family’s minivan Friday night, killing four adults and critically injuring three children (one who died later as a result of her injuries), interim Public Safety Director Dan Isom said Monday.

Family members identified the four adults who died as Angielique Simmons, 56; Rhonda Simmons, 34; Ephraim Simmons, 47, all of St. Louis; and Luther Simmons, 43, of Florissant. Additionally, the week of May 16, one of the children injured in the accident, 11 year old Takara Thompson also died.

Aaron Piggee, a relative of the innocent victims, was dubious of the account that Dan Isom provided. Piggee is angry that police aren’t admitting it was a pursuit. Piggee said a St. Louis police detective told him at the hospital that officers were chasing the Jeep in an unmarked vehicle with no sirens. “I asked him point-blank, ‘A pursuit with no sirens?” Piggee said. “They couldn’t answer my question.” (St. Louis Post Dispatch)

Headline: Innocent driver killed in crash involving car fleeing from police in south St. Louis

Date: Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Location: St. Louis Missouri – a witness saw police deploy spike strips a few hundred feet from where the deadly accident occurred at the intersection of River City Casino Boulevard and South Broadway Street.

Incident: According to Major Eric Larson with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the incident started on the parking lot of River City Casino. A red car in the parking lot fled police onto River City Boulevard and crashed into an unrelated truck less than a mile away at the intersection of River City Casino Boulevard and South Broadway Street. A witness, Michael Bini, estimated the car was going faster than 100 mph when it T-boned the truck and launched it into the air. The truck ended up in some trees off the side of the road. Larson said the driver of the truck was pronounced dead on the scene of the crash. Two men inside the red car were taken to the hospital for treatment. A crash report later said they were in critical condition at the hospital. (KSDK News 5)                                                                       

Headline: Mother, child seriously injured in a police chase-turned crash involving stolen vehicle

Date:  Friday, April 22, 2022

Location: St. Louis Missouri – West Florissant Avenue in north St. Louis County.

Incident: A carjacking turned police chase ended in a three-vehicle crash. A mother and her 2 year old child, who happened to be driving in the area were seriously injured. St. Louis County Sgt. Tracy Panus said overnight a red Dodge Challenger was stolen somewhere in St. Louis during a carjacking. She said that officers tried to pull over the vehicle but the driver of the vehicle didn’t comply. A chase ensued between the Dodge and officers. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle using spike strips, which didn’t work. The Dodge came southbound through an intersection at West Florissant Avenue, when it hit a black Hyundai that was trying to make a left turn onto Hudson Drive. The Hyundai was forced into a utility pole as a result of the crash. The car then became engulfed in flames. The occupants of the Hyundai, a mother and her two year old son, were ejected from the vehicle in the crash, police said. They were taken to the hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries. Panus said after the impact with the Hyundai, the Dodge began to spin out on West Florissant Avenue when it hit a white Oldsmobile. That driver had minor injuries. (KSDK News 5; navbug.com)

Headline: Police officer killed by car while deploying spike strips on McKinley Bridge identified

Date: Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Location: St. Louis Missouri – McKinley Bridge

Incident: Brian Pierce, an officer with the Brooklyn Police Department was putting out spike strips along the McKinley Bridge when he was hit by a Dodge Charger and killed, according to Illinois State Police. The Charger was involved in a pursuit that started in Brooklyn, Illinois. It was later found abandoned in Missouri. (KSDK News 5)

Headline: Police pursuit ends, SUV swerving to avoid spike strips, flips, and catches fire

Date: Friday, October 9, 2020

Location: Jasper County, Missouri

Incident: Crash occurred as a maroon Mitsubishi sport utility vehicle was fleeing from Webb City Police Department. The SUV swerved to avoid spike strips set up by a Jasper County Deputy, and drove off the right side of the roadway. The SUV struck two culverts, went airborne, overturned and caught fire. The driver, Yolanda Smith, was ejected from the vehicle. She was transported to a local hospital. (Joplin News; fourstateshomepage.com)

Additional Supporting Information:

On May 19, 2022, St. Louis City NAACP President Adolphus Pruitt and St. Louis County NAACP President John Bowman held a press conference on the corner of Delmar and Pendleton, the intersection where a minivan with seven family members inside was hit by a suspect speeding away from police on May 6, 2022. Five of the seven innocent family members died in that crash. St. Louis NAACP leaders are asking police to revise their pursuit policy. The NAACP requested the Justice Department’s assistance to review and modify police chase policies and the use of spike strips within the City and County.

Over the last decade, several agencies have stopped using spike strips, including the Dallas Police Department. Dallas police banned spike strips out of concern that an officer may be hurt or killed while trying to use the device. “It’s an officer-safety issue,” said Dallas police Assistant Chief Mike Genovesi, in July 2012. “In a perfect world they can be effective, but I have seen too many instances where the reality that we live in is far from that. There’s a lot of danger, a lot of safety issues with them.”
A September 1, 2012 Bulletin Alert on deployment of spike strips stated, according to FBI reporting, 2011 represented a deadly year for law enforcement officers killed while deploying spike strips to end dangerous high-speed pursuits. The use of spike strips began in 1996. Since that time, drivers have struck and killed 26 law enforcement officers, five in 2011 – the most since 2003, which also featured five officer deaths.

On Saturday, March 21, 2020, Officer Kaia Grant tried to deploy spike strips on I-275 in Springdale, Ohio, to stop a chase. The suspect instead swerved and wound up hitting and killing Grant. Seth Stoughton, a law professor at the University of South Carolina, a former police officer and national expert on police training, says such crashes involving police chases are all too common. “The best national data tells us that about a third of these pursuits result in property damage, injuries or death. We have to keep in mind that vehicle pursuits are inherently risky. More officers are killed in pursuits, for example, than by stabbing. They are like dynamite.” Nationally, 16 officers died deploying spike strips between 2009 and 2018, according to the Officer Down Memorial website. And a review by Local 12 of other regional records shows that at least two other officers died using stop sticks in the area since the late 2000s. Several more have been injured. Those national numbers are from an analysis by the National Police Foundation.

Former Lockland Police Officer Brandon Gehring barely survived after being hit by another police car along I-75 when he was deploying spike strips during a 2009 chase. “I had a skull fracture, fractured vertebra, broken ribs, multiple facial injuries and a broken sternum.” He also said he needed cardiac resuscitation and it took him more than a year to recover. “We need to find a better way to stop vehicles that are being pursued by police departments.
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Who has the power to do something? Cori Bush (U.S. Representative for Missouri's 1st Congressional District) and Paula Brown (Missouri State Representative).

What happens if we win?  The use of tire deflation devices (spike strips, spike belt, tire shredders, stingers, stop sticks) by police, to impede or stop the movement of wheeled vehicles by puncturing their tires will be discontinued in St. Louis, Missouri. The victory of winning will save innocent lives and/or prevent injuries in the future. Agencies in St. Louis City and County will be among several agencies that have stopped using spike strips over the last decade, including the Dallas Police Department. 

What happens if we lose?  The continued use of spike strips by police can result in more property damage, deaths and serious injuries of innocent civilians and/or the police who deploy them.

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Let's stand together to ban the use of all tire deflation devices (spike strips, spike belt, tire shredders, stingers, stop sticks) by police in St. Louis, Missouri. Please, thank you and God bless.