A special prosecutor has decided not to file criminal charges against the Columbia police officers who shot a man at a southeast Columbia gas station on Christmas morning, closing the criminal chapter of a case that began in the early hours of Dec. 25, 2025. The shooting at the Break Time on East Stadium Boulevard left the suspect wounded; he later died. Two officers fired their weapons during the confrontation, and Boone County prosecutors have since dismissed the suspect’s outstanding charges.
Audrain County Prosecutor Jacob Shellabarger, appointed as special prosecutor, outlined his conclusions in a May 15 letter to the Boone County Circuit Court. In that letter, he wrote that he “found that the shooting was justified and proper under Missouri law,” according to ABC17.
How the encounter unfolded
Officers were dispatched after reports of a man with a knife and eventually found him at the Break Time near Highway 63 and East Stadium Boulevard. A Columbia deputy police chief told reporters that officers first tried using a Taser, but the suspect allegedly kept up the assault and then attacked an officer with a knife. At that point, two officers fired their guns, then rendered medical aid at the scene. The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control took over the criminal investigation, according to KWOS.
Allegations before the shooting
Court documents and earlier reporting connect the gas station encounter to a series of incidents earlier that morning, including an alleged couch fire at a Courtyard by Marriott and an altercation at a Holiday Inn Express. The filings list charges against 31‑year‑old Marc Lucas that include first‑degree arson and counts of unlawful use of a weapon. 93.9 The Eagle reported on those charges and related court records. Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson confirmed that Lucas died and that his charges have since been dropped, according to ABC17.
Investigation and oversight
After the shooting, Columbia Police requested that the State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control conduct the criminal investigation. Within the department, Columbia Police internal affairs typically runs a separate administrative review of officer-involved shootings. Officers involved in such incidents are generally placed on administrative leave while those reviews play out. The state probe will help determine whether any departmental action or policy changes are warranted, as noted by KWOS.
What Missouri law allows
Missouri law spells out when officers can use deadly force while making an arrest. Under state statute, an officer is justified in using deadly force only when it is immediately necessary and the officer reasonably believes the person has committed or attempted a felony, is fleeing while using a deadly weapon, or otherwise poses an immediate danger. That standard appears in RSMo §563.046 and served as the legal framework for Shellabarger’s review, according to the state code. Missouri Revisor of Statutes
With Shellabarger’s letter, the criminal inquiry into the Break Time shooting is formally closed. State and departmental investigations will continue to sort through the details and determine whether there are any internal consequences. This story will be updated if Columbia Police, Boone County prosecutors or the Audrain County prosecutor release additional information.
