An exchange of gunfire involving St. Louis police officers and a suspect occurred earlier today in the city's west end, according to multiple reports. Officers were shot at by a suspect at an apartment building on the 1600 block of Hampton Avenue, with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department confirming that shots were fired around 6:45 a.m., as FOX 2 Now reported. It appears that, no one was hurt during the altercation and the suspect is now under arrest.
Details provided by First Alert 4 suggest that the incident began when the suspect, identified as a man in his early 30s, broke into a neighbor’s apartment and discharged a firearm. After firing several shots inside the first apartment, which was unoccupied at the time, the suspect then attempted to force entry into another apartment by firing at the door, however, was unsuccessful. That second apartment was occupied, but no individual was struck by gunfire.
The same source notes the involvement of the Force Investigation Unit at the scene and the acquisition of body camera footage from the three officers involved in the incident, all of which had their cameras operational during the event. "It was a very, very close call," SLMPD spokesperson Mitch McCoy is quoted as saying by First Alert 4, highlighting the dangerous proximity the officers were in during the exchange.
Adding to these reports, 5 On Your Side noted that the forensic investigation concentrated around Gratiot School Apartments’ parking lot, where at least 24 evidence markers were seen.
