Insanity plea accepted for man who ran over officer.

Jon Routh, who ran over a Springfield police officer in 2020, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The officer was left paralyzed after the incident. Routh was facing a class A felony charge of first-degree assault, but all parties agreed to the insanity plea, which will have Routh committed to the custody of the Department of Mental Health. Surveillance video showed Routh circling the parking lot outside of police headquarters before accelerating and driving toward the officer, striking him with the vehicle. Routh had sent messages prior to the incident indicating his intention to harm police officers.