Manhunt ends as Stoker captured
<p dir="ltr"><span>Jason Michael Stoker, the man charged with fleeing police in the chase that ended in the death of Chester Police Department Officer James Brockmeyer, has been caught.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>In a news release, Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker and Randolph County Sheriff Shannon Wolff confirmed that the 34-year-old Stoker was captured in the St. Louis area late Tuesday afternoon. Bond had previously been set at $250,000.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Stoker will remain in custody in Missouri until extradition proceedings are resolved. Stoker has been charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding a peace officer in connection to the rollover accident that fatally injured Brockmeyer last Friday night on Palestine Road north of Chester.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>His capture follows a large "multi-agency" operation that was organized by law enforcement to find Stoker, who was driving the vehicle Brockmeyer was attempting to stop on when the accident occurred.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>"There's a lot of bodies looking for him," Walker said Monday.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The car Stoker was driving, a 2006 Pontiac G6, was found in Evansville on Saturday evening. Walker told local media that a person of interest was detained as a result.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>"An interview was done with someone affiliated with the car," he said.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Walker said no further details will be released about the accident itself "as to not jeopardize any prosecution of the accused."</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>"Since it is a pending criminal case and a pending criminal investigation, we have to protect that," Walker said. "No. 1 priority is to prosecute the defendant."</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Earlier Monday, Chester Community Unit School District 139 released school schedule changes to accommodate the funeral services for Brockmeyer, scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday at Chester High School's Colbert Gymnasium with the Rev. Tim Sims officiating.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Chester Grade School will dismiss at 10:50 a.m. Wednesday, with the high school at 11 a.m. Both schools will be closed Thursday.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Both St. John Lutheran School and St. Mary's Catholic School will have a full day of school on Wednesday. Daycare will be available at St. Mary's, while there will be no bus service in the afternoon for St. John.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Both schools will also be closed Thursday.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Visitation for Brockmeyer will be from 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, also in Colbert Gym. Brockmeyer, 22, was only 10 months into his tenure as a CPD patrolman.</span>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The Herald Tribune will continue to have further updates as information becomes available.</span>