A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper was fired at by a suspect after a car chase, and then a foot chase, in Daviess County. Two arrests have now been made as a result of the investigation into the March 19 incident, according to the highway patrol.
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The driver, Elmer Martin Sorrell, 52, of High Ridge, Mo., was arrested on a Daviess County warrant for the following charges: assault first degree – serious physical injury or special victim, class A felony; armed criminal action, unclassified felony; unlawful possession of a firearm, class D felony; stealing -firearm, class D felony; stealing – $750 or more, class D felony; resisting/interfering with arrest for a felony, class E felony. Bond has been set at $100,000.
A passenger in his vehicle, Lisa Ann Legge, 55, of Washington, Mo., has been arrested for the following charges: armed robbery 1st degree, burglary 1st degree, felony stealing.
The incident began at 10:46 a.m. on Monday, March 19, when the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department advised Troop H Headquarters of a theft in progress at a residence in Ridgeway. The suspects, identified as a male and female, fled the residence after a confrontation with the homeowner.
Daviess County Circuit Court Request for a Warrant states that Sorrell allegedly stole a compound bow with accessories. The bow is valued at approximately $700.
The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department provided a description of a vehicle involved in the incident. The suspects were last seen in a silver Ford Taurus, with damage to the bumper, bearing Iowa registration. A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper observed a vehicle matching the description on southbound Interstate 35.
While attempting to overtake the vehicle, the trooper observed the vehicle exit Interstate 35 and travel westbound on Route N in Daviess County. The trooper overtook the suspect’s vehicle and observed it as it failed to stop, slid through the intersection of Route N and US 69, and crashed into a ditch.
Preliminary investigation indicated the male driver (Sorrell) and a female occupant (Legge) fled the vehicle with the trooper pursuing on foot. Sorrell fired several shots at the trooper. The trooper returned fire striking Sorrell. The trooper requested medical services and began rendering aid to the injured subject. Sorrell was placed in custody and taken by NTA Ambulance to Liberty Hospital.
Legge fled from the scene on foot and was apprehended a short time later by Daviess County deputies.
Investigators from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control processed the shooting scene for evidence. A Glock, model 23 pistol was recovered. The firearm was reported stolen on Feb. 20, 2018, by the Manchester, Mo., Police Department.
After obtaining a search warrant, Daviess County Deputies searched the vehicle and found a compound bow, which was identified as an item stolen from Harrison County.
Sorrell is in stable condition and guarded at Liberty Hospital. Legge is incarcerated at the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department.
Sorrell is considered a prior and persistent offender. He has several previous felony convictions, according to a Complaint and Request for a Warrant filed by the Circuit Court of Daviess County, including the following: convicted in 1988 in Dallas County, Texas, for felony offenses of Dangerous Drugs and Escape; convicted in 1997 in Austin County, Texas, for the felony offense of Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon; convicted in 2000, in Austin County, Texas, for the felony offense of theft from a person; convicted in 2002 in Federal Court for the felony offense of bank robbery.
The charges for which Sorrell and Legge were arrested are mere accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.