An incident involving a police shooting unfolded on the streets of Midtown, as officers from the Anti Crime Task Force confronted suspects linked to a series of car break-ins. The officers were initially called to the QuikTrip on Jefferson and Chouteau, eventually tracking down the suspects to a Target parking lot, where an Audi Q7, later confirmed as stolen, was spotted with its occupants allegedly breaking into cars, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
The situation escalated rapidly when detectives tried to immobilize the Audi by using spike strips, which led to the vehicle colliding with another car, hitting a median, and becoming disabled, which was when the four suspects fled on foot. During the foot chase, a 25-year-old armed suspect was shot in the hip after purportedly refusing multiple orders to drop his gun, his weapon was later recovered at the scene, and he was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Along with the injured suspect, three other individuals—ages 18, 22, and 23—were apprehended and are believed to have been involved in the car break-ins. Law enforcement officials reported seizing three firearms from within the Audi, one of which was equipped with a sear switch, a device that can essentially modify a firearm into an automatic weapon.
The incident has triggered an administrative review of the shooting as per protocol, the officers who fired their weapons have not been identified, however, the wounded suspect and the three others detained face charges related to the theft and illegal modification of firearms.
