St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Officer David Lee, 44, was assisting with a car crash on Sunday morning when he was struck by another vehicle and killed.
The driver of the other vehicle, 24-year-old Ramon A. Chavez-Rodriguez, had entered the U.S. illegally and was drunk when he allegedly struck and killed Lee, KMOV reported. On Monday, Chavez-Rodriguez was charged with DWI, death of law enforcement or emergency personnel, exceeding the posted speed limit, and operating a vehicle on a highway without a valid license.
Chavez-Rodriguez, from Honduras, was allegedly driving at least 71 miles per hour just seconds before the crash – on a road with a posted speed limit of 55 mph, according to charging documents obtained by KMOV. Chavez-Rodriguez allegedly lost control of the vehicle due to the rainy conditions, struck Officer Lee, and pinned him between two vehicles before throwing him several feet, KSDK reported.
Chavez-Rodriguez was taken to the hospital, and his blood was drawn two hours after the crash, showing his blood alcohol level at that time was still 0.10, meaning it was likely even higher when he allegedly struck Lee.
“My heart breaks for the family, friends, and colleagues of St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Officer David Lee, who was tragically killed by an individual who was in this country illegally,” Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said. “This devastating loss serves as a harsh reminder of the real consequences of a broken system that fails to protect our communities. I am praying for Officer Lee’s family, friends, and the entire police department during this unimaginable time. We must honor his service by ensuring justice and security for all.”
At the time of the crash, Chavez-Rodriguez was already on probation for domestic assault and DWI in St. Charles County.
Lee’s family told KSDK he was a devoted father, husband, and police officer.
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“I’m gonna miss him dearly, because he was the yin to my yang, my best friend,” his wife, Tonya, told the outlet. “He was my partner, my other half. One half of my heart, and I’m the other half of his heart.”
Lee’s son, Khalil, told the outlet that his father loved his family, his job, and basketball.
“He was somebody who I could talk to about anything,” Khalil said. “He’s the reason why I chose to go to school for criminal justice and do what I’m doing now.”
Tonya said the night before Lee was killed, they had prayed together as usual, and when they were lying in bed together, he said something she’d never forget.
“It was weird,” she told KSDK. “He laid beside me in the bed, and he put his hand on my thigh, and he said, ‘Thank you for everything.’ And I said, Oh, Bae, thank you for everything. He said, ‘No, seriously, thank you for everything.’ And I didn’t know this was my husband saying bye to me.”
