Tased and Missing: Family Demands Answers After Jack Roper Falls Into Mississippi River Following Police Pursuit

Published: May 26, 2025

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO / MADISON COUNTY, IL – In the stillness of the early morning hours on May 22, a black Chevrolet S10 traveled along Interstate 270, just outside St. Louis. By 1:30 a.m., what began as a routine traffic stop for incorrect license plates had escalated into a cross-state pursuit, ending in chaos, confusion—and the disappearance of 56-year-old Jack Jeffrey Roper into the Mississippi River.

Nearly five days later, his whereabouts remain unknown. His family has filed a missing persons report. Authorities have remained tight-lipped. And questions surrounding the incident continue to multiply.

At the center of it all: an unarmed man, tased by police while standing on the ledge of the Chain of Rocks Bridge, who hasn’t been seen since.

From Traffic Stop to Bridge Standoff

According to police reports, Officer Michael Conley of the St. Louis County Police Department initiated the stop just after 1:30 a.m. after observing what he believed were improper license plates on Roper’s vehicle. Roper, who had only recently completed a 27-day jail sentence in Jefferson County, reportedly did not pull over immediately.

Instead, he continued eastbound on I-270. Eyewitnesses and passengers in the vehicle say Roper was not speeding recklessly or endangering others. But the fear of being reincarcerated—coupled with his past driving infractions—was clearly weighing on him.

“He wasn’t trying to outrun the world,” said a passenger who was in the vehicle that night. “He was trying to survive it.”

While Officer Conley briefly disengaged the pursuit, other units picked it up again. Roper’s path eventually led to the Chain of Rocks Bridge—a narrow, elevated structure connecting Missouri and Illinois, suspended high over the Mississippi River.

That’s when the situation turned deadly.

Spike Strips, Panic, and the Fall

Police deployed spike strips—twice—crippling the tires on Roper’s vehicle. The second deployment caused the vehicle to swerve, allegedly coming dangerously close to one of the officers. That moment, according to official statements, is now being cited as justification for second-degree assault charges against Roper.

But the passengers in the truck tell a very different story.

“The spike strips caused the swerve,” said one. “It wasn’t intentional. He wasn’t trying to hit anyone. He was trying to stay in control after his tires blew.”

After the truck came to a full stop in the westbound lane of the bridge, Roper embraced one passenger, urged the other to comply with police commands, and climbed over the guardrail. His final minutes on the bridge were harrowing.

He stood on the ledge and made two phone calls—one to a friend, and another to his teenage son.

“He told me he had red laser dots on him,” his son said. “He kept saying, ‘They’re going to shoot me. I haven’t done anything wrong.’ He was terrified.”

Eyewitnesses say Roper was holding only a cellphone and made no threatening gestures. Yet officers deployed a taser. Once. Then again. And again. Stunned by the electric shock, Roper’s body convulsed—and fell backwards into the darkness below.

He never resurfaced.

Silence, Contradiction, and a Missing Man

What happened next has only intensified suspicions and sparked a wave of public outrage.

Roper’s family raced to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, where a nurse allegedly confirmed that Jack had been admitted and was speaking with police. But moments later, hospital staff reversed that statement, saying there was no record of him. Eyewitnesses described a heavy police presence at the hospital, including officers and what appeared to be corrections staff positioned outside a private room.

Still, no confirmation. No answers. No access.

“We’ve been told nothing,” said Roper’s sister. “One person says he’s alive. Another says he never made it out of the water. How can this be happening in America?”

As of May 26, neither the St. Louis County Police Department nor Madison County law enforcement in Illinois has provided concrete information regarding Roper’s status. Yet formal criminal charges have been filed in Missouri, indicating he is alive somewhere—or was, at the time of the paperwork.

“How can you file charges against a man you say is dead?” asked community advocate Lisa Hemmings. “You can’t have it both ways.”

Public Outcry and Growing Demands for Transparency

In response to the lack of information, Roper’s family has filed an official missing persons report. Hashtags like #WheresJack, #AccountabilityForJack, and #JusticeForRoper have started to trend on social media, accompanied by community-organized vigils and calls for public release of body camera footage from the bridge.

Civil rights attorneys have begun asking hard questions: Why was lethal force—or a taser—used on a man standing on a ledge? Why was there no mental health response? And where is the transparency?

“The handling of this case has been appalling,” said one legal expert. “This family deserves to know if Jack is alive. Or if not, they deserve the dignity of mourning him with truth—not misinformation.”

Community members are now urging elected officials and media outlets to step in, investigate, and hold those in power accountable.

The Man Behind the Name

Jack Jeffrey Roper wasn’t a stranger to the justice system. He had struggled with driving violations and minor infractions. But according to his family, he had turned a corner. After completing his sentence, he was actively looking for work and trying to regain a sense of normalcy.

“He knew it wouldn’t be easy,” said a longtime friend. “But he was trying. That’s what matters. And that’s why this hurts so much.”

What began as a low-level traffic stop has now become a human rights question—raising concerns about the use of force, treatment of vulnerable individuals in distress, and whether transparency still exists within the justice system.

As of now, Jack Roper is still missing. His family is still waiting. And the public is still asking:

Where is Jack?

If you have any information about Jack Jeffrey Roper (DOB: 02/27/1969), please contact the St. Louis County Police Department or the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.

 Updates will follow as more information becomes available.