A homicide suspect narrowly missed shooting a Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) trooper during a chase May 7 before apparently taking their own life, according to video from the agency.
The Boone County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) said deputies answered a report May 7 in Columbia shortly after 1:15 p.m. from a woman who alleged both herself and her son were shot, according to Fox 4 KC. Officers found a 65-year-old woman seriously hurt and declared her 35-year-old son on-scene.
Officials obtained a description of the suspect and the vehicle he allegedly fled in. Steven Swanson was reportedly later named as the suspect. The BCSO, with support from the Columbia Police Department and MSHP, chased Swanson along U.S. Highway 63, officials said. (Related: Karmelo Anthony Found Guilty Of Murder, Sentenced to 35 Years)
Cpl. Brandon Harris came under fire during the chase, and police tried to deflate the vehicle’s tires before Harris carried out a tactical vehicle intervention (TVI), according to police reports. One bullet went through Harris’ passenger seat window, narrowly missing him, according to the in-car footage. Bodycam footage shows multiple bullet holes on the side of the trooper’s vehicle.
Cpl. Harris was successful in derailing the suspect’s car, with the suspect suffering a loss of control before ending up in a ditch, according to footage. The MSHP said toopers discovered the suspect deceased in the vehicle with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Cpl. Harris sustained minor wounds from glass fragments, the agency added in the video. However, Fox 4 KC cited police reports saying that no officers were injured.
The BCSO is still investigating the attack on the woman and her son’s killing, according to the outlet.