WENTZVILLE, Mo. – Newly-released bodycam video shows a Wentzville police officer firing shots at a kidnapping suspect in an April incident. The video’s release comes more than two months since the shooting prompted a high-profile investigation.
A critical incident response team from St. Charles County reviewed the video amid an ongoing investigation into the shooting. The CIRT is a multi-jurisdictional unit tasked with conducting thorough, objective, and transparent investigations of high-level critical incidents, such as shootings involving officers.
Officials released the video on a Wentzville city YouTube channel. The video includes some graphic material that viewers may find disturbing. The video also includes closed captioning, and some parts of it have been blurred.
“This case required significant time for investigators to thoroughly review all video and physical evidence, conduct forensic evidence, and complete witness interviews,” said Wentzville Police Sgt. Jacob Schmidt in a message via YouTube before the video of the officer firing shots. “At the completion of the investigation, the case was referred to the office of the St. Charles County prosecuting attorney for an independent review.”
Investigators say Wentzville police shot a man who threatened self-harm outside of an AutoZone in the 1200 block of West Pearce Boulevard on April 20.
When officers arrived at the scene, they said they found a man inside a car threatening himself with a gun. Police claim the 53-year-old did not comply with officers’ instructions to drop his weapon.
“Shots were fired. They were not exchanged. Our officers were the ones that discharged their weapons,” Schmidt told FOX 2 on the evening of the shooting.
The man who was shot was a person of interest in a kidnapping at gunpoint in Lincoln County. Police said he was hospitalized after being shot in the arm. Police have not released the man’s name, but said the man is facing charges in St. Charles and Lincoln counties.