Suspect charged after 2 officers shot in Soulard Thursday night

ST. LOUIS (KMOV) -- A suspect has been charged after two St. Louis Police officers were shot at 9th and Lafayette in the Soulard neighborhood Thursday night.

Friday afternoon, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office charged 36-year-old Cortez Darrell Sipes with two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action, two counts of resisting arrest and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. Court documents state Sipes is a convicted felon.

A spokesperson for the police department said the officers were conducting a car stop investigation on a Ford F-150 believed to be involved in a robbery when the shooting happened. The driver of the Ford drove off, leading officers on a chase, but crashed in the courtyard of the Soulard Farmers Market.

The suspect then got out of the vehicle and shot at officers, striking two of them, according to authorities. Officers fired back and shot the suspect in the ankle.

Officer Lucas Roethlisberger, 38, was shot in the torso. He was treated and later released from the hospital.

The second officer, 24-year-old Sean Miskovic, was shot in the torso and arm. News 4 learned Wednesday that he had been released.

The spokesperson originally said there was another suspect that was still at large but later clarified the only suspect involved in the incident was the one shot in the ankle. He was taken to the hospital.

The original robbery incident reportedly took place on Jan. 31 in the 3800 block of Lindell Boulevard. The victim told officers that she was walking when a man approached her from behind and grabbed her purse with one hand while he held a handgun in his other. The victim said she fought for her purse; however, she was forced to the ground. The suspect took the victim’s purse and fled in a silver two-door Ford F-150 being driven by another suspect.

A gun was reportedly recovered at the scene in Soulard.

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