SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) – A Springfield police officer is suing the man who is charged with crashing a sport utility vehicle into him.
Officer Mark Priebe, who sustained rib fractures and a spinal cord injury, filed the personal injury lawsuit Tuesday against 28-year-old Jon Tyler Routh, the Springfield News-Leader reports.
Court documents say Priebe tried to get Routh to stop his vehicle June 9 after Routh urinated on the front door of the police station but Routh accelerated and ran over Priebe.
Another officer then shot Routh after he refused to get out of the vehicle. Routh, who is charged with assaulting a special victim and armed criminal action, told police at the scene “You guys knew you had this coming,” according to court documents. He was treated for his gunshot wound before he was taken to jail.
The lawsuit said one of Priebe’s doctors has indicated that the officer will never be able to walk again. He was transported this past week to a Colorado hospital for physical therapy.
Court documents say Routh sent someone a text message before the incident saying “I’m going to run a cop over I think.” An attorney for Routh has asked that he be examined by a psychologist.
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