Man now faces murder charge for police pursuit crash that killed Missouri officer

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (AP) — A man from Missouri is now facing a murder charge for the police chase that led to the death of an officer.

Christopher Aaron Bishop Wehmeyer, 23, was originally charged with aggravated fleeing a stop or detention resulting in death after the chase on Aug. 31. Prosecutors on Tuesday added a charge of second-degree murder.

Wehmeyer fled when an Osage Beach officer tried to stop him for speeding on U.S. 54, police said. Another Osage Beach officer, 33-year-old Phylicia Carson, joined the pursuit before skidding off the road into a tree. Her squad car burst into flames. Carson, a mother of six, died from her injuries.

A statement from Wehmeyer’s lawyer, Branden Twibell, said Wehmeyer will plead not guilty.

“We are waiting to receive and review the evidence from the prosecutor’s office and have begun our own investigation,” the statement read.