ARNOLD, Mo. (AP) - The Latest on the shooting of a police officer in Arnold, Missouri, near St. Louis (all times local):
5:25 p.m.
A man suspected of shooting a suburban St. Louis police officer has died from what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities say 29-year-old Chad Klahs of Arnold died Tuesday after shooting Arnold, Missouri, officer Ryan O’Connor in the head.
O’Connor was taking the suspect to the police station for booking following his arrest for stealing a gun from a home. But Jefferson County Sheriff’s Capt. Gary Higginbotham says police were unaware that the suspect had a second gun that was apparently stolen from a vehicle.
Klahs was handcuffed in the back of the police SUV but managed to shoot the officer. Police believe Klahs then turned the gun on himself.
O’Connor is hospitalized in critical condition and was in surgery late Tuesday.
Higginbotham says Klahs was well-known to police and his criminal history included unlawful use of a weapon.
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4:50 p.m.
A suburban St. Louis police officer is in surgery after being shot by a suspect inside a police vehicle, apparently with a gun police failed to confiscate.
The shooting happened Tuesday afternoon in Arnold, Missouri. Police say 44-year-old officer Ryan O’Connor was shot in the head and is undergoing surgery at St. Anthony’s Medical Center.
Police were called to a report of a gun stolen from a residence. The suspect ran into the woods and fired shots, though it wasn’t clear if he was shooting at police. He was caught a short time later and a gun was confiscated.
But Jefferson County Sheriff’s Capt. Gary Higginbotham says the suspect apparently had a second gun, which was used to shoot the officer when they arrived at the police station.
The suspect also was shot in the head. Police aren’t sure if that wound was self-inflicted. He’s being treated at the same hospital as the officer but his condition has not been disclosed.
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4:24 p.m.
The suburban St. Louis police officer shot by a suspect inside a police vehicle is 44-year-old Ryan O’Connor.
The shooting happened Tuesday outside the police station in Arnold, Missouri. Police Chief Robert Shockey says O’Connor is undergoing surgery after being shot in the head.
O’Connor is a 20-year police veteran. He has worked in Arnold for about three years after previous stints in Ferguson, Missouri, and St. Louis County.
Police say O’Connor was taking a handcuffed burglary suspect to the police department for booking when the man somehow managed to shoot the officer. The suspect also was shot once in the head and is being treated at the same hospital as O’Connor. Police aren’t sure if the suspect’s wound was self-inflicted.
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3:50 p.m.
An eastern Missouri police officer is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after being shot inside a police SUV by a suspect he was taking to the police department.
Authorities say the Arnold police officer was shot Tuesday afternoon near the police department. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Capt. Gary Higginbotham says the officer was shot on the back of the neck or head. His name has not been released.
Higginbotham says the male suspect also was shot once in the head, though it isn’t yet known if the wound was self-inflicted. The man is hospitalized but a condition report is not immediately available.
The suspect was being brought in for booking as part of a robbery or burglary investigation.
Arnold is a town of about 21,000 people located 15 miles (24.14 kilometers) south of St. Louis.
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3:30 p.m.
An eastern Missouri police officer is being treated for life-threatening injuries after being shot near police headquarters.
Authorities say the shooting happened Tuesday afternoon in Arnold, a St. Louis suburb located in Jefferson County. Highways near the shooting scene were closed so the Arnold officer could be rushed to a hospital.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating. Sheriff Dave Marshak on Twitter urged people to “pray for our law enforcement family.”
Police have not released further details. TV news footage showed that a black Arnold police SUV appeared to have crashed near the police department parking lot.
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