Mo. Police: Dealer Executes Pot Thief in Front of Officer after Reporting Theft

Oct. 8, 2024
As a North County Police Cooperative officer stopped a man accused of stealing a pound of marijuana, the person who reported the theft opened fire on the vehicle in front of the officer, killing the alleged thief.

PAGEDALE, MO — A man here is accused of shooting and killing a person shortly after telling a police officer that a group of people had stolen a pound of marijuana from him.

Dominik Young met up with three people just after 8 p.m. Friday in the 7000 block of Page Avenue, according to the North County Police Cooperative.

A backseat passenger got out of the group's car and got into Young's car, charging documents say. He then took a backpack with the pound of marijuana from Young and left with the two other people.

Young found an officer in an unmarked car and told the officer about the theft, charging documents said.

The officer followed the group's car. But Young also drove off and followed the car, apparently not knowing that the officer was also trailing the suspects.

When all three cars were at a stoplight about a mile away from the meetup spot at Skinker Parkway and Page Avenue, police said Young opened fire on the three people in the other car. The officer was stopped behind the car with the three people in it when the shooting happened.

Young shot the front seat passenger, 22-year-old Charles Ray, in the face. He later died at Saint Louis University Hospital.

The officer turned on his lights and chased Young's car. Police did not say in charging documents if Young was arrested.

Young, who is in his thirties, was charged Saturday with first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, resisting arrest, unlawfully possessing a firearm and unlawfully possessing a weapon.

Ray lived in the Covenant Blu Grand Center neighborhood of St. Louis.

Watch now: How to explore the data in the St. Louis-area homicide tracker

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch tracks the data behind reported homicides on an interactive map that allows readers to explore information in various ways.

___

(c)2024 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Visit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at www.stltoday.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Sponsored Recommendations

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Officer, create an account today!