Federal gun charge filed against man accused of shooting Pettis County deputies
Madison Stuerman
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to clarify that one deputy fired shots, and the suspect was not hurt
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Two Pettis County deputies were shot while serving a search warrant early Friday morning.
According to Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop A, the deputies were trying to serve a search warrant related to a drug investigation at a house in the 27000 block of Route BB.
James Joseph Elsea, 62, was charged in the Missouri Western District Court with being a felon with a gun.
The complaint states that a SWAT team served a “no-knock” warrant at 5:43 a.m. in the 27000 block of Route BB. The warrant was issued in relation to possible meth trafficking. The complaint says Elsea is “known to be armed.”
The SWAT team began cutting into the door when Elsea fired four shots, the complaint says.
One deputy was hit above their knee and the other was shot near their calf. At least one SWAT member returned fire, the complaint says.
Elsea then allegedly called EMS stating that he shot someone, the complaint says. Law enforcement eventually took Elsea and brought him to the Pettis County Jail, court documents say.
One of the injured SWAT members was brought to University Hospital with a shattered femur and was sent to surgery. The other was brought to Bothwell Hospital and was eventually released, the statement says. The identities of the injured SWAT members have not been stated.
A loaded handgun was found in the residence.
MSHP said a suspect started firing a gun, resulting in two deputies being shot. One deputy fired shots, but the suspect was not hurt.
The two deputies were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One was released before 9:30 a.m., while the other was still receiving care, according to troopers.
Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control was requested to investigate the shooting.
Other area law enforcement agencies were helping with the raid as part of two drug task forces. The East Central Drug Task Force initiated the investigation, according to a Facebook post by the Audrain County Sheriff’s Office.
Pettis County R-V School District shared on Facebook at 6:51 a.m. that due to the police activity, both schools were under a soft lockdown as a precaution.
The district also said buses were not able to pick students up in that area.
Check back for updates.