A pair of St. Louis County Park Rangers’ routine patrol in West County went off the rails earlier this year, resulting in suspensions for the rangers who pursued a reckless driver into the neighborhoods around Queeny Park.
The St. Louis County Park Rangers website says rangers’ mission revolves around public relations, programming, and protection. The two rangers in question were pushing the limits of that third P a few minutes after 3 p.m. of January 26 when they spotted a black sedan engaged in “reckless maneuvers” in the parking lot of Queeny Park, which is nestled between Manchester and Town and Country.
According to letters of reprimand later sent to the two rangers, when they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, the sedan fled out onto Weidman Road. Apparently disinclined to let this one go, the park rangers turned off their lights and their in-car camera and searched for the sedan. They spotted it five minutes later on Forrest Lane Court, a nearby cul-de-sac. One ranger called the other and asked if he still wanted to conduct a traffic stop. The other ranger answered in the affirmative…