Owner of LGBTQ Bar in St. Louis Arrested After Police Car Crashes Into Establishment

Around 12:30 a.m. last night, a St. Louis police cruiser crashed into the front window of Bar: PM, an LGBTQ bar in Carondelet. Surprisingly, it was the co-owner of the bar who ended up getting arrested and is currently being held in central booking.

James Pence, co-owner of Bar:PM with Chad Wick, who is currently in police custody, recalls that multiple police officers apprehended him.

According to Pence, the police officer who entered the bar informed him that he had swerved to avoid hitting a dog on South Broadway. Pence also mentioned that he possesses security camera footage of the incident, but he has chosen not to release it to the public at this moment. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has not yet responded to a request for comment. We will provide an update if we receive a response.

Pence, who resides above the bar, recounts that he was preparing to retire for the night when two other individuals concluded their duties for the evening. Without warning, he sensed the entire structure tremble and swiftly descended the stairs.

As he descended, he was met with the sight of a police SUV stationed in his building, and an officer sternly requesting to see his identification.

Pence responded, saying, “No, you don’t. There’s a police cruiser in my building. There’s no need for you to see my ID. This is not how things work.”

According to Pence, he was spun around and had handcuffs placed on him.

While capturing videos and photos of the police vehicle, Wick, the co-owner of Pence, found himself in a situation where three officers approached him. According to Pence, Wick raised his arm, and the officers claimed that he had hit them.

Pence was eventually released from handcuffs, but Wick was apprehended by the police.

Pence dedicated his morning to not only cleaning up the damage but also tracking down Wick. After some investigation, he discovered that Wick had been brought to the South Patrol police station for medical attention at SLU Hospital. From there, Wick was transferred to the North Patrol and eventually ended up at Central Booking around 9 a.m.

Chad Morris, also known as Wick, faced charges of felony assault, as detailed here.

Pence addressed the RFT while a crowd of friends and regulars assembled at Bar:PM, situated at 7109 South Broadway, to lend a hand in the cleanup efforts and express solidarity with the owners.

According to witnesses present during the incident, there was no immediate request for medical assistance or ambulance services at the scene.

Another St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department car has been involved in a high-profile crash, marking the second incident in a week. In the previous collision, which occurred last Tuesday, a police SUV and another vehicle both failed to stop at a stop sign near North Sarah and St. Louis Avenue. As a result, the police cruiser overturned outside a business situated at the intersection.

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