A 25-year-old man, identified as Alexander Johnston, was arrested in connection with a burglary at the St. Louis Police Headquarters, during which multiple firearms and a police vest were stolen. The incident occurred last week, with the breach discovered two days later, on Wednesday, according to official reports.
Officials indicated that Johnston illegally entered a SWAT bunker in the headquarters' garage last Monday and absconded with a collection of restricted items. FOX2now.com reported that the stolen items included a starter pistol, ammunition, and a multi-launcher. Running under a parking gate, Johnston allegedly moved out of sight from the cameras, only to reappear wearing an SLMPD vest, as revealed by surveillance footage.
Johnston was apprehended in Fredericktown, Missouri, where he had been staying at an acquaintance’s home. The acquaintance, interviewed by local officials, shared that Johnston claimed he was 'on the run' after a heist from the police department. This narrative of the occasion corroborates with the footage obtained from a nearby house which showed a figure, believed to be Johnston, entering with the items, as per information from KSDK.com.
Amongst the confirmed stolen arsenal were a Remington shotgun, an item described in the charging documents as a grenade launcher, and a Penn Arms 6 Cylinder Pump Action 40mm Multi-Launcher, which, according to a police spokesperson, is employed for "less-lethal" applications like launching bean bags and ball pellets. Locating the suspect was expedited by leveraging arrest records, with officials using a mugshot matching system that identified Johnston from the security footage, who reportedly has previous convictions related to theft, Stltoday.com detailed.
Johnston has been charged with six crimes following his arrest. The incident has prompted a review of security protocols at the St. Louis Police Headquarters, focusing on the management and oversight of sensitive areas. Authorities are examining how the breach occurred and the delay in detecting the missing items.
