A federal judge sentenced a convicted felon to 13 years in prison Tuesday following a police pursuit through St. Louis that resulted in multiple crashes and injuries.
U.S. District Judge John A. Ross imposed the sentence on Frederick Butler, 44, whose attempt to evade police in a stolen Dodge Challenger on June 22, 2025, endangered motorists, pedestrians, and responding officers.
The pursuit began when officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department spotted Butler driving the stolen vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. Butler refused to pull over, accelerating through red lights and maneuvering between vehicles. During the chase, pursuing officers were involved in a collision that injured them and occupants of another vehicle…