St. Charles Police officer Grant Jansen remembered
Annette Jansen, (silhouetted at left) watches a video tribute to her husband Grant Jansen, a St. Charles police officer killed last year in a car crash. (Photo by Joel Currier / P-D)
More than 100 people came to a public memorial tribute Thursday at the pavilion in Frontier Park on the one-year anniversary of his death. Dozens wore black t-shirts printed with one of Jansen’s signature sarcastic quips, “Really?”
The tribute included prayers, stories of Jansen’s life, live music, a musical slideshow and a balloon release. Jansen was remembered as a tough, motivated officer who loved his family, his career and his canine partner, with whom he made numerous traffic stops and arrests.
Jansen, 42, died in the early hours of Sept. 10, 2008, in a one-car crash in St. Peters while driving home after his shift with his police dog, a German Shepherd named Czar. Jansen was heading south on Spencer Road across from the Tour 3 Golf Course when his patrol car ran off the road, flipped several times and caught fire. Czar survived.
Grant Jansen and his drug dog, Czar.
Jansen had been in law enforcement 20 years and spent the past 13 in St. Charles as a K-9 officer. Before joining the St. Charles police force, Jansen was a corrections officer and patrolman with the St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department.
Jansen and Czar seized millions of dollars in illegal drugs.
Czar, who retired to live with Jansen’s widow and two children, died in December.
Annette Jansen was pregnant when her husband died. She gave birth in April to her third child, a son named Grant Jansen Jr.
(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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The crash is still a mystery? Czar was a good boy! I’m sure Backstoppers has Annette’s back?
Was there ever an investigation done on this accident? I’m from the area and have heard many rumors. The most common one was that he was drunk. This might explain why he crashed in an area that is not known for accidents. The road is very wide and well lit. The side of the road he went off of is pretty steep, but you would have to be asleep or impaired for this to happen. The fact that he was in his squad car only fuels the fire for conspiracy theorists. I wish his family the best, but I would like to see more info.
Officer Jansen was NOT drunk!!!! Anyone who knows him knows that first of all, he was not a “drinker”. A full toxicology report was done and there were NO signs of alcohol or drugs in his system. Those rumors are just that….RUMORS… and they need to be stopped!!!
What a great tribute it was! I am just absolutely stunned that someone would be so heartless and callous to put a nasty rumor that is so obviously false under an article that talked about a tribute that family, friends and the community had for an amazing man. Don’t you realize his family will read your comment? Or do you not even care? Oh well, one stupid comment won’t change what a great tribute it was and what a great husband, friend and police officer Grant was.
Dear “what really happened”:
Why would you write trash like that in a blog. Your a real piece of trash. I have an office at 5055 Hwy N in Cottleville. Why don’t you stop by my office. I will be glad to educate you in manners and not being such a piece of trash. So come out behind your blog.
What really happened?, Drugs and/or alcohol were the first things, ruled out. Why do YOU neeed more info? Unless you have facts to back up your “theories”, show some respect for the man and his family! May Officer Jansen & Czar, RIP.
To what really happened:
Someone obviously did not teach you any manners or how to be respectful of others. I most certainly would like to!! Grant Jansen was a great Officer, husband, father and friend. He would have NEVER jeopardized his career or family in such an unprofessional manner (as anyone who ever met him would know). The death of Officer Jansen has been hard on many good friends and of course most of all his family. Your blog is totally uncalled for and obviously you are an idiot.
Hey, “What really happened”,you are very ignorate as to how investigations work. The curve on the road was not well lit at the time of Grant’s accident and it was also 2am in the morning. You must have alot of time on your hands to write such negative comments about someone you don’t even know. Also, show some respect to the men and women in blue,if it weren’t for them you wouldn’t have a life. People like you couldn’t even have the courage to be a Police Officer. Grant was excellent at his job, 20 years as a Police Officer and never became stagnate, that is what was so amazing about him he loved his community and his job. He was and still is a success story. He has saved many lives, have you. I do apologize that this response very “highschool” to write this, but that is the level I had to go. Think before you type. Good Day…
First of all Officer Jansen was ON DUTY that night protecting the citizens of St.Charles on main street. He worked all the way to around 2:30 am with other police officers. So the comment about being drunk is laughable. The autopsy was very conclusive, Officer Jansen was clean, no drugs or alcohol. I also believe he did not fall asleep as he was very busy at a stop minutes before the crash. Something happened, nobody knows but his dog CZAR and GOD himself. Before leaving a message suggesting something ridiculous, maybe check out the man and his reputation. It would make sense. I believe all the family and friends want to know what happened much more than anyone else. He was a great man, father, brother, friend, husband, everything. This loss to the community and the country (yes the country, he stopped many of drug dealers) will be felt through your lifetime. Rarely will you find someone who fights through so much adversity and tried to do things the right way. God bless him and his family.
Folks,
I talked to St. Peters Officer Melissa Doss about the crash investigation. She said the cause of the crash was inconclusive. She said Officer Grant Jansen had no alcohol in his system, that he was going 46 mph (in a 55 mph zone) and that speed was not a factor. The investigation could not determine whether he fell asleep. The St. Charles County Medical Examiner’s Office says the cause of death was blunt trauma to the chest and there was no evidence Jansen suffered from any kind of medical condition immediately before the crash. The crash was about 2:30 a.m. as Jansen was heading home from his shift, where he was assigned to patrol Main Street in St. Charles that evening.
–Joel Currier / reporter / Post-Dispatch