ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A man allegedly stole a pickup truck at Lambert Airport, used it to break through a security gate, and led officers on a frantic chase Thursday before he crashed into a police car, leading to his arrest.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Justin Doyle, 38, with five felonies and one misdemeanor amid the investigation. Charges accuse Doyle of assault, property damage, resisting arrest, and making terroristic threats.
The incident unfolded around noon Thursday at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Doyle was wandering around Terminal 1 when he spotted a yellow airport utility pick-up truck. Doyle took off in the vehicle after the previous driver left it running with the keys in it.
From there, Doyle reportedly broke through a security gate without an access badge and drove onto an airfield. Court documents state he temporarily blocked a taxi way that an airplane was using.
Officers in three police cars approached Doyle and ordered him to leave the pick-up truck. Doyle got out and briefly questioned what was happening before he went back inside the vehicle. Moments later, he nearly struck one of the responding officers, who jumped out of the way to avoid being struck, per court documents.
Police then pursued Doyle on the runway. He reportedly accelerated behind an airplane that had just landed with passengers onboard.
After that, an officer attempted to disable and redirect the stolen truck, which spun around upon impact. Doyle then drove into a police car head-on, though no injuries were reported in this collision, according to court documents.
Moments later, an officer produced a weapon and ordered Doyle out of the stolen vehicle. He was arrested near the scene of the crash.
Court documents did not indicate any potential motives behind the incident, though they indicated Doyle has previous convictions over drug use, assault of officers, and tampering with vehicles.
Doyle is now jailed in St. Louis County without bond, according to Missouri court records.
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