The Reporter newspaper, Camdenton Missouri

The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published September 11, 2024

Man facing charges in OB officer’s death

LAKE OF THE OZARKS – A Camdenton man has been charged in connection to the death of Osage Beach Police Officer Phylicia Carson.

According to the Probable Cause Statement (PCS) on Saturday August 31 at 1:17 a.m., an on duty Osage Beach Police officer spotted a passenger vehicle traveling westbound on Highway 54 at what appeared to be an excessive rate of speed.

The officer said he checked the speed with his radar and found the vehicle, driven by Christopher A. Wehmeyer, 23, of Camdenton, MO, going 90 MPH.

The officer activated his emergency lights and siren and began pursuit of the vehicle. The PCS stated Wehmeyer failed to stop and accelerated reaching speeds in excess of 100 MPH.

As the vehicle passed Case Road, a second Osage Beach Officer, Phylicia Carson, joined in the pursuit.

Wehmeyer exited Highway 54 onto Route Y and ended up on Route A. He refused to stop and again reached speeds in excess of 100 MPH. A review of footage from the Officer’s dash camera showed the officer directly behind Wehmeyer with the lights and siren activated, according to the PCS.

Officer Carson continued attempting to assist the first officer when her vehicle crossed the center of the roadway, began to skid, went off the left side of the road and hit a tree. The vehicle then caught fire.

Carson was pronounced dead at the scene.

Wehmeyer continued and at approximately 1:38 a.m., he crashed his vehicle and was taken into custody.

Around 4:55 a.m. in a post Miranda interview “Wehmeyer told me he was racing with a friend immediately prior to officers attempting to initiate a traffic stop on his vehicle. Wehmeyer said he saw the LED emergency lighting equipment and knew law enforcement officers were in pursuit of him but fled from officers in attempt to avoid being charged with traffic violations,” the PCS stated.

He has been charged with Aggravated Fleeing A Stop Or Detention-Results In Death, a Class A Felony.

The range of punishment for a Class A felony is imprisonment in the custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections for a term of not less than 10 years and not to exceed 30 years or life imprisonment.

Laclede County Associate Circuit Judge Steve B. Jackson was transferred to Camden County to preside over the case after Camden County Division 5 and Division 4 recused themselves from this case due to conflict.

A Bond Hearing is scheduled for September 11 at 9:00 a.m. in the Camden County Court.

A large group of law enforcement and emergency personnel showed up last week to escort the body of the officer to the funeral and to the cemetery.

She leaves behind a husband and six children.