x
Breaking News
More () »

Missouri public official stands in way of police and woman who fears she’ll end up dead

WELLSTON, MO (KTVI) – FOX 2 Saint Louis has obtained exclusive evidence, including police body camera video, showing a councilwoman who appears to be trying to ...
promo247811895

WELLSTON, MO (KTVI) – FOX 2 Saint Louis has obtained exclusive evidence, including police body camera video, showing a councilwoman who appears to be trying to control a North County municipal police department.

Officers with the Wellston, MO Police Department say they`re being hampered from protecting citizens, because of one woman with power.

A reported victim of domestic violence called 911 last August to report domestic violence.  She cried, “He`s beating me with belt buckles. This is not the first time. It has happened several times.”

She was calling about the son of a Wellston city councilwoman.  Police documented injuries and statements from the victim, who said, ‘I`m tired of getting beat.’  She told police ‘Every time this happens, his mother Janet Dixon gets him out of trouble.’

The suspect is Terrence Dixon.  Court records, obtained by the Fox Files, reveal a ‘confidential informant’ told police that Dixon is known by the ‘street name Low-Key.’   Police reports and evidence photos documented an October 2013 raid, where detectives reported finding cocaine and heroin in Dixon`s home.  The police report also documents a three-year-old and a nine-month-old in the home.  In an audiotaped interview from the arrest, Officer Dan Donohue asked Terrence Dixon about drug dealing.

On the tape Donohue asked, ‘How much crack cocaine would you sell in a typical month?’

Dixon responded, ‘Less than a quarter of an ounce.’

Donohue then asked, ‘How much heroin did you typically sell in a month?’

Dixon answered, ‘Probably about the same.’

Terrence Dixon got probation for drug possession.  Officer Donohue, and two other officers investigating Dixon, got canned.  Wellston Police Chief GT Walker believes it`s because they messed with the son of Councilwoman Dixon.

Chief Walker said, ‘Right now, pretty much the whole department is constantly coming to me saying what do we do if this happens? What do we do if that happens?  Will we be fired?  And it`s hard for me to assure them, that they won`t be indiscriminately fired or fired for doing their jobs, if I couldn`t keep Donohue from being fired.’

The Courts almost immediately ordered the officers back to work.  Donohue was fired a second time last December.  It happened after he tried helping a woman who a neighbor reported was screaming from the second story window of Terrence Dixon`s house.

Chief Walker said, ‘The (witness) said it seemed like she was trying to crawl out the window, she knocked the screen out but it appeared somebody pulled her back in.’

Police body cam video shows police arrive at the home.

You can hear one officer say, ‘She`s not letting us come in.’

You can see Councilwoman Janet Dixon walk the reported victim to her car.  Officer Dan Donohue tried to intervene.  He told the reported victim, ‘This is going to continue.’

That reported victim is the same woman who called 911 last August and also complained in another police report that she got ‘beat up.’  She told police Terrence Dixon ‘…did this before and his momma got him out if it.. if ya`ll find me dead somewhere, then it`s your fault.’

Back on the body camera video, you can hear Officer Donohue repeat that the violence will continue without the victim`s cooperation.  The councilwoman then stepped in and grabbed the door from the officer, yelling ‘Let my door go!  Let my door go!  I`ll drive off.’  Donohue again repeated to the reported victim, ‘This is going to continue for you, until you stop it.’

Councilman Dixon then drove the victim down the street.  She returned to grab a car seat from another car, then looked at Officer Donohue and said, ‘This will be your last paycheck.’

The Wellston City Council fired Dan Donohue at the next meeting.

Read more from KTVI.

Before You Leave, Check This Out