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Jefferson County sheriff's deputy shoots man during confrontation in abandoned nursing home
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - 4/18/2019
April 18-- Apr. 18--JEFFERSON COUNTY -- A Jefferson County sheriff's deputy shot a suspected thief who lunged at the deputy after being confronted in an abandoned nursing home Wednesday morning south of Festus.
The man was shot in the shoulder about 8 a.m., apparently as he and the deputy struggled over the deputy's gun. The man, 30, was in critical condition but is expected to survive.
Sheriff Dave Marshak said the deputy suffered minor injuries as the two struggled.
The shooting was at Benchmark Healthcare of Festus, at 12827 Highway TT. The building is vacant and under renovation.
The deputy was there to check on a reported trespasser. Neighbors keep an eye on the building and routinely report trespassers or suspicious activity, police said.
But the tip police got Wednesday about a trespasser stealing came from a construction worker who flagged down a deputy, said Grant Bissell, a spokesman for the sheriff's office.
The deputy, a man who has been with the department about 15 years, confronted the man in a cellar area in the back of the building, Marshak said. The man was carrying something in his hands -- police haven't said what it was -- and the deputy "gave commands." The man "lunged at the officer with something," Marshak said.
In a later update to reporters, Bissell said there was then a struggle over the deputy's weapon. He said the gun went off at least once during the struggle, and the suspect was struck once in the shoulder.
Bissell told the Post-Dispatch that he wasn't sure whether the man had gotten control of the deputy's gun during the struggle.
"It sounds like it was fired in the deputy's hands," Bissell said.
Crime-scene technicians were investigating the scene late Wednesday morning, and police hadn't identified what may have been in the suspect's hand, Bissell said. Processing the scene had an added challenge because debris was everywhere, as if squatters had been using the building, he added. Elsewhere on the property, trash strewn about included oxygen containers and a box of syringes.
Photo from inside Benchmark in 2016
This 2016 file photo shows the inside of Benchmark Healthcare at 12827 Highway TT, south of Festus. Photo by David Carson of the Post-Dispatch.
Benchmark was forced to close the facility in recent years. Conditions were so bad that patients were going hungry while the company's CEO embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from Medicaid.
The building, about four miles south of Festus, has since attracted trespassers and vandals.
"We've had other calls for thefts and stealings from within the building in the past," Marshak said.
"A lot of times, they take copper tubing or wiring," the sheriff said.
Hours before the shooting, a deputy had gone to the building when someone reported a potential burglary. The deputy checked the area about 5 a.m., didn't find anyone and left.
Then, about 8 a.m., a construction worker flagged down a deputy about someone in the building, and that's when the deputy confronted the suspect coming out of the cellar.
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Officer-involved shootings in the St. Louis area during 2019
These are the incidents of police officer shootings in the St. Louis area during 2019.
Jan. 8: Missouri Highway Patrol officer shoots, kills armed man near Leadwood
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Jan. 8: Missouri Highway Patrol officer shoots, kills armed man near Leadwood
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Jan 8, 2019
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Michael W. Mobley was shot and killed when he raised a gun at officers at a home in the Leadwood area and one of the officers opened fire, the...
Jan. 15: Carjacking suspect killed in gunfight with St. Louis police
Local
Jan. 15: Carjacking suspect killed in gunfight with St. Louis police
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Jan 15, 2019
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Quency Chavez Floyd, 22, a carjacking suspect, fired a gun at police and was then shot and killed when officers returned fire near a Schnucks ...
Jan. 18: Man shot by deputy in East St. Louis is recovering, charged with federal gun crime
Law and order
Jan. 18: Man shot by deputy in East St. Louis is recovering, charged with federal gun crime
*
Jan 18, 2019
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Demetrius O. Ward, 42, was shot after a short car chase; he was seriously injured, and later charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Jan. 18: Man shot and killed by O'Fallon, Mo., police during mental health check
Local
Jan. 18: Man shot and killed by O'Fallon, Mo., police during mental health check
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Jan 18, 2019
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Dale Weich, 64, was fatally shot by O'Fallon police during a mental health check. Weich was armed with a handgun, police said.
Jan. 24: St. Louis officers took turns firing revolver with 1 bullet at each other, charges in fatal shooting say
Local
Jan. 24: St. Louis officers took turns firing revolver with 1 bullet at each other, charges in fatal shooting say
*
Jan 24, 2019
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Officer Katlyn Alix, 24, was allegedly shot by Officer Nathaniel R. Hendren, 29, while they were playing with a gun. Hendren was on duty at th...
Law and order
Jan. 24: Jefferson County deputy shoots man who allegedly charged at officers with knife
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Jan 24, 2019
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A man was shot in the leg by a deputy as he charged at officers with a knife, Jefferson County sheriff's officials said.
Law and order
Feb. 12: No one hurt after St. Louis officer shoots at gunman firing from vehicle in Bevo Mill neighborhood
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Feb 12, 2019
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An officer shot at a gunman who opened fire near police, but no one was hit in the exchange of gunshots, police said.
Law and order
March 16: Carjacker killed in shootout with Illinois State Police
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Mar 16, 2019
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Billy L. Walker Jr., 53, of Hillsboro, was shot near Staunton after a police chase that began with reports of a carjacking in Glen Carbon. The...
March 19: Police say man shot by officer wanted 'suicide by cop'
Law and order
March 19: Police say man shot by officer wanted 'suicide by cop'
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Mar 19, 2019
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James Hunn, 61, died six days after he pointed a shotgun at University City police officers, and an officer shot and wounded him, authorities say.
Law and order
March 19: Man taken to hospital after being shot by police in south St. Louis County
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Mar 19, 2019
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Kevin Butenhoff, 37, was injured in the shooting, and charged with a county of armed criminal action after allegedly refusing to put down a me...
March 25: Armed man killed by officer in St. Louis had just robbed and shot acquaintance, police say
Law and order
March 25: Armed man killed by officer in St. Louis had just robbed and shot acquaintance, police say
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Mar 25, 2019
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Kaylon Robinson, 18, of the 3200 block of Ohio Avenue, died; the officer wasn't injured. The shooting, about 11:30 p.m. Monday, was in the 300...
April 11: Man shot and killed by St. Louis police officer during struggle over gun, chief says
Law and order
April 11: Man shot and killed by St. Louis police officer during struggle over gun, chief says
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Apr 11, 2019
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A St. Louis City officer shot Demetrious Brooks, 34, of St. Charles, in the 3600 block of Virginia Avenue. The shooting happened during a stru...
April 17: Sheriff's deputy shoots man during confrontation in abandoned nursing home
Law and order
April 17: Sheriff's deputy shoots man during confrontation in abandoned nursing home
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18 hrs ago
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The suspect was shot in the shoulder about 8 a.m., apparently as he and the Jefferson County sheriff's deputy struggled over the deputy's gun....
Police shooting incidents in the St. Louis area during 2018
Law and order
Police shooting incidents in the St. Louis area during 2018
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Dec 31, 2018
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Some of the shootings in 2018 killed the suspects; others caused injuries.
Kim Bell
--314-340-8115 @kbellpd on Twitter kbell@post-dispatch.com
2019 homicide map
2019 homicide map
Police-involved shootings in 2019
Police-involved shootings in 2019
Salary information
Salary information
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