ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – An 18-year-old accused of murdering a Clayton man was out on bond and violating his GPS ankle monitor at the time shots were fired, according to police.

Trenell Johnson, 18, is facing second-degree murder and armed criminal action charges. He’ll remain in custody until a bond hearing that’s been scheduled for December 1.

Missouri court records reveal Johnson took St. Louis County officers on a high-speed pursuit in March before crashing into a Metro bus near Ferguson and St. Charles Rock Road.

St. Louis County Police say during a foot pursuit, Johnson pulled a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at detectives.

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St. Louis County Prosecutors charged Johnson with tampering with a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, unlawful use of a weapon, and leaving the scene of an accident.

St. Louis County Judge Jeffrey Melder authorized a $30,000 bond, but Johnson only needed to come up with $3,000 to get out and would need to wear a GPS ankle monitor.

While prosecutors objected to the judge’s ruling, Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said it’s an appropriate amount.

“A $30,000 bond is pretty higher off these particular charges. No one could’ve known, no one would’ve known,” Bell said. “Charges are going to be based on the facts of a particular case and the degree of the case, and generally, the degree of the injury or the degree of the harm will translate into a higher charge.”

According to records, Johnson failed to abide by the rules of his GPS monitor. The FOX Files has learned the battery died in his ankle monitor.

While the 21st Judicial Circuit may have been notified of the dead battery, Bell said his office was not told about it because the court does not consider it an official violation.

“We were not CC’d or notified of that particular letter, but again, it’s a pre-trial assessment, not a GPS violation alert,” Bell said.

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Bell said courts have to take into consideration that equipment can fail, and it would not automatically revoke someone’s bond.

It’s unclear how long the GPS battery was dead.

This is not the first time someone out on bond has been accused of breaking the law.

Earlier this year, a man who repeatedly violated his GPS ankle monitor, was accused of running over Janae Edmundson, a volleyball player visiting from Tennessee while in downtown St. Louis. She lost both her legs.

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