Crawford County Sheriff's Department Involved In Tuesday Morning Shootout On I-44

by Jessica Nelson

A 26-year-old man who was wanted by the Secret Service was shot and killed by a trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Interstate 44 in Phelps County Tuesday morning following a chase involving several local law enforcement agencies.

The Secret Service contacted the Cuba Police Department Tuesday about the man being in the Cuba area, saying he was wanted on a felony warrant from Texas and should be considered armed and dangerous. The Secret Service said he would shoot at law enforcement officials. The man was found at a Cuba business at 10:40 a.m., according the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and fled in his truck when approached by Cuba police officers and Crawford County Sheriff's Department deputies. As the man was fleeing, he drug a Cuba police officer for a short distance. The officer suffered minor injuries.

The chase continued onto Interstate 44 westbound with Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers becoming involved; troopers deployed tire spike sticks in several locations, causing three of the truck's four tires to blow out. The man drove off the side of the interstate at the 200-mile marker near St. James and stopped. After stopping his truck, the man got out of his truck while pointing a pistol at himself before turning the gun at officers and opening fire. The man was struck after deputies and a trooper returned fire; he was transported to the Phelps County Regional Medical Center by ambulance where he was later pronounced dead.

The trooper involved in the shooting was placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. It is unclear why the man was wanted by the Secret Service.

Information from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and KSDK Channel 5 in St. Louis was used in this story.