Armed Felon who Fled Police Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

ST. LOUIS - U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a felon who fled from police while armed to 10 years in prison.

Antonio Lenarr Williams, 33, of Ferguson, Missouri, pleaded guilty in April to two felony counts of conspiring to possess a weapon by a felon.

He admitted that on May 5, 2021, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers spotted a vehicle in which Williams was driving heading south on Kingshighway Boulevard. Williams was being sought by police in connection with an investigation. After police deployed spike strips, Williams continued driving on deflated tires in midday traffic. He drove erratically, crossing into oncoming traffic and through red lights while trying to escape from officers. After going through the intersection of Kingshighway and Lindell boulevards, Williams jumped out of the vehicle and ran with a loaded semi-automatic pistol in his hand. He threw the gun in a dumpster shortly before his arrest by police, his plea agreement says.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.