On February 21, 2020, a deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Highway HH for traffic violations. While attempting to stop the vehicle, it fled at a high rate of speed and based on the totality of the circumstances at that time, the deputy chose to terminate the attempt to stop rather than pursue the suspect.

A short time later another deputy observed the same vehicle, which was then traveling at speeds in excess of 80 mph, run the four-way-stop in Center and continue southbound on Highway P.  The deputy attempted to stop the vehicle which again fled.  Due to the flagrant disregard for public safety exhibited by the suspect, the deputy pursued the vehicle which eventually stopped.

The driver, Cameron Cockrell, age 36 of St. Louis was taken into custody near the intersection of Highway C and Highway P near the township of Madisonville. A search of the vehicle yielded items that led deputies to believe the suspect discarded a firearm in the nearby area as he was fleeing.

A search of the area was conducted which yielded a loaded firearm, approximately 8.5 grams of methamphetamine, over an ounce of heroin, and pills suspected to be MDMA (aka Ecstasy).  Cockrell was also found to have a no-bond probation & parole warrant on which he has been held in the Pike County Jail since the date of this arrest.  The probation was from a July 2018 incident when Cockrell led deputies on a nearly 20-mile pursuit in Ralls County which resulted in his arrest for DWI, possession of a controlled substance, and felony resisting.

On February 26, 2020, a warrant was issued in Ralls County court charging Cockrell with one count of Delivery of a Controlled Substance, one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance, one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and one count of Resisting Arrest by Fleeing. The court found the defendant poses a danger to the community and therefore ordered he be held without bond.

On February 18, 2020, deputies with the Ralls County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to Casey’s General Store, 413 W 1^st St in New London, for a report of a vehicle which had been observed traveling in a careless and imprudent manner.  The license information provided by the caller was checked by NECOMM dispatch and it was discovered the vehicle had been stolen a few days prior from Columbia, MO on February 15.

A deputy arrived and located the vehicle in the parking lot and found it to be occupied by multiple subjects.  When the deputy attempted to contact a male driver, he, in an apparent attempt to flee the scene, intentionally reversed from a parking space and rammed the deputy’s patrol car.  When that failed to open enough room to leave the parking lot, the driver then pulled forward and around another vehicle, striking concrete pylons in the parking lot.

The driver was then able to flee the parking lot in the vehicle and failed to yield to deputies.  During the course of the pursuit, the driver appeared to intentionally strike another sheriff’s office patrol vehicle, a Missouri State Highway Patrol vehicle, and an unrelated civilian vehicle before coming to a stop and attempting to flee on foot.

The suspect, Jeramie G. Charlton of New London, was taken into custody and is being held in the Marion County Jail on a Marion County warrant for probation violation.

Both deputies involved sustained minor injuries and were treated and released at Hannibal Regional Hospital.

Additional charges stemming from today’s incident are pending review of the Ralls County Prosecuting Attorney.

The Ralls County Sheriff’s Office would like to both thank and congratulate Mark Twain students Bella Hinds, Ragon Longden and Allie Maziarka who submitted artistic drawings for the lettering package of the Ralls County Sheriff’s Office school resource officer vehicle.

Pictured in the attached photo are the three students along with SRO Deputy Walotka and the vehicle bearing their design.