Standoff south of St. Louis leaves man dead, officer wounded

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CEDAR HILL, Mo. — A St. Louis-area man was shot to death and an officer was wounded in what authorities said was an hourslong standoff between the man and a sheriff’s department tactical team investigating a potential homicide.

Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak said deputies were serving a search warrant Friday evening at a home outside of Cedar Hill, a town of about 1,700 residents 20 miles (32 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis. He said the man immediately began firing at officers.

“They exchanged gunfire back and forth over a couple of hours,” Marshak told reporters in a video posted by his department on Facebook. “The suspect was actively trying to kill police officers.”

Marshak said the man was shot by sheriff’s deputies. He said sheriff’s detectives were investigating a missing person case and believe the subject of that case was killed.

The sheriff’s department did not name the dead man or the sheriff’s officer who was shot, though Marshak described the officer as a “seasoned” officer and “one of our best.”

The sheriff said the officer was shot below his tactical vest and was taken to a local hospital for surgery. He was expected to survive, Marshak said.

The sheriff said officers were near the house “for a while” gathering intelligence before they served the warrant, and the man knew they were there.

“This suspect is known to law enforcement,” Marshak told reporters at the scene. “He has a lengthy history. This is not the first time he’s encountered law enforcement.”

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