The officer who collided with an SUV into a gay bar was not subjected to an intoxication test.

This blog originally appeared at LGBTQ Nation.

The police department has been altering its rationale for the cause of the crash involving the officer and the SUV into a gay bar.

A St. Louis police official has disclosed that the police officer involved in crashing his SUV into a Missouri LGBTQ+ bar, resulting in the arrest of the bar’s co-owner, was not tested for intoxication at the time of the incident. Surveillance footage depicts the vehicle running a red light before the crash, conflicting with the police department’s changing explanations for the crash’s cause.

Following the incident, the state’s governor has urged the police department to make public the bodycam footage from the arresting officers. The co-owner of the bar alleges that he was given a black eye by the police, and his legal representative is advocating for the dismissal of all criminal charges against him.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Lieutenant Colonel Renee Kriesmann informed the media that the officer involved in the crash wasn’t tested for alcohol or drugs as there was no “reasonable suspicion” of intoxication, according to The Riverfront Times.

Kriesmann stated that the driver was “distracted while attempting to change his in-car radio” during the crash. However, there have been inconsistent explanations from officers. Initially, the bar’s co-owner, James Pence, reported that the officer said he swerved to avoid hitting a dog on the street.

Yet, according to an official incident report from the police department, the officer stated that he “believed he was traveling too close to a parked car” and overcorrected, resulting in the crash into the bar, as reported by KTVI.

Javad Khazaeli, the attorney representing Chad Morris, co-owner of Bar:PM, shared surveillance footage on X (formerly Twitter) demonstrating that neither a dog nor a parked car was in close proximity to the police vehicle. Additionally, he posted a video revealing that the police vehicle ran a red light shortly before the collision.

Chad Morris asserted that he was beaten by an arresting officer. When released from jail, he displayed a black eye, facial bruises, and scratches. Prosecutors have reduced his assault charge to a misdemeanor, but his attorney contends that all charges against him must be dismissed.

Khazaeli communicated on X, stating, “The same officer who assaulted my client decided that the driver had no impairment and didn’t need a breathalyzer. There’s no dash cam on the car, and they won’t release the body cam. There’s no investigation of the crash, no crash scene photos. If I crashed into a building while speeding, after midnight, after running a stoplight, there’s no way I could have a co-worker decide that I should not get a breathalyzer.”

Khazaeli presented VICE News with footage of the arrest, undermining police assertions that Morris pushed an officer following the crash. In the video, moments before his arrest, Morris exclaims, “This person in the black beanie punched me in the face,” referring to the officer who detained him and wasn’t involved in driving.

After the crash, the arresting officer instructs Pence to “stop yelling,” claiming it causes a disturbance, and warns the person recording that continued interference will result in handcuffs, adding “clown.” Recording the police is legal under state law as long as it doesn’t obstruct law enforcement. The video also captures someone asking the officers about their relationship before the crash.

The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office initially filed felony charges against Morris, accusing him of third-degree assault on a special victim. However, these charges were later reduced to misdemeanors, specifically fourth-degree assault and resisting arrest. Khazaeli advocates for the dismissal of all charges against Morris.

The officer involved in Morris’s arrest was previously accused of causing injuries to a man in 2019 who had verbally confronted him with “F**k the police.” However, it’s important to note that verbal harassment does not legally justify physical assault by law enforcement.

Governor Mike Parson (R) has urged the department to release the body camera footage of the officers involved in the incident. He emphasized the importance of transparency, stating, “If you’ve got body cam footage, I don’t know why you wouldn’t release it. In the old days, it will help you as much as it will ever hurt you… Be transparent and get it over with.”