Man Assaulted Off-Duty Police Officer in O'Fallon, Police Say

An O’Fallon man grabbed an off-duty police officer’s arm as he drove away on Sunday, forcing the man to run alongside the vehicle, police said. Police said that pointed an assault rifle at the officer’s car, according to a court document.

John Jay Kahr, 43, of the 1500 block of Indian Springs Drive in O’Fallon, was charged Monday with assaulting an officer.

O’Fallon Police said Kahr, while sitting in his car, grabbed the man’s arm and accelerated in the 1500 block of Indian Springs Drive. That forced the man, an off-duty Hazelwood police officer, to run alongside the car for about 30 feet before Kahr let go of his arm.

When the victim and two other officers arrived at his home, Kahr came out of his garage, pointing an assault rifle at the car. An O’Fallon police officer drew his weapon and pointed it at Kahr, warning him to drop the weapon.

Kahr went back inside his garage, where the second officer saw him bent over so that he couldn’t see Kahr’s hands or the rifle. The officer ran into the garage and kicked Kahr in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

The officer reported Kahr appeared to be lying in wait in his garage, with a lawn chair set up so he could see the street, and a .40 cal Sig Sauer on a table near the chair.

According to a court document, Kahr and the off-duty Hazelwood officer know each other from the neighborhood and from a separate incident in Hazelwood.

Bond has been set at $50,000 for Kahr, and he is to have no contact with the off.