Author: KMIZ

Lucas Geisler

Editor’s note, 7/25: The story has been updated with the job status of Myron Woodson.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A lawyer for the City of Sturgeon told a federal judge that it, a suspended police officer and the owner of a blind and deaf dog killed by police were still working on a settlement in the owner’s lawsuit.

Attorney Michael Berry wrote in a motion Friday that all sides were “engaged currently in productive negotiations.” Berry asked for an extension to the deadline to file motions ahead of a 2026 trial over former Sturgeon officer Myron Woodson’s killing of a dog in 2024 because of those talks.

Nicholas Hunter, the owner of the dog Teddy, sued the city and Woodson in May 2024. Woodson shot the 13-pound dog for allegedly “behaving strangely” while trying to catch him. Video ABC 17 News obtained after the incident shows Woodson trying to catch Teddy for about three minutes before shooting him. The city suspended Woodson while it investigated.

Berry’s motion said the two sides had a “failed mediation” in June, but “have made substantial progress on their own toward narrowing the difference between their respective settlement positions, and they are engaged currently in productive negotiations.”

Woodson lawsuit extension request 7-25Download

Berry asked Judge Willie Epps to move the motion deadline to Aug. 8. The trial is set to begin Feb. 2, 2026.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was arrested on Thursday evening in Columbia is accused of shooting a man on July 15 in Boone County, according to a sheriff’s office spokesman.

Kevin Buckner, 25, was charged Friday in another case with illegal gun possession, armed criminal action and resisting arrest. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond and a court appearance was held on Friday afternoon.

Charges related to the shooting were not listed on Casenet as of Friday afternoon, though Boone County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Brian Leer told ABC 17 News in an email that Buckner is accused of first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and endangering the welfare of a child.

Leer wrote that a man was sitting in a vehicle around 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 15 near El Chaparral and Victoria avenues, which is an area just east of Columbia city limits. A man shot at the vehicle several times and the victim was brought to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Leer wrote. Deputies found several spent shell casings and “other evidence” that night, Leer wrote.

The probable cause statement in the other case says Columbia police saw Buckner near Douglass Park on Thursday evening and knew of an active warrant for his arrest. Police tried to arrest Buckner, but wrote he tried to pull back his arm and run away, the statement says.

Court documents allege Buckner found with a loaded gun. Buckner has previously pleaded guilty to felonies and is not allowed to own a gun.  

Another charge was filed later for damaging jail property. A probable cause statement alleges Buckner destroyed a jail camera once he was placed in a cell.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boonville man was charged with four felonies after he was accused of shooting another man in Howard County on Thursday.

Johntelle Millens, 39, was charged on Friday with first-degree assault, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and illegal gun possession. He is being held at the Howard County Jail without bond. An arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.

According to the probable cause statement, Boonville police were called to the intersection of Main and High streets at 10:26 a.m. Thursday after someone with multiple gunshot wounds was found. The victim was then with a friend, who allegedly told police Millens shot the victim, the statement says. The victim’s vehicle had a broken window and a spent shell casing was found, court documents say.

Millens was apparently stopped by law enforcement for a traffic stop prior to the shooting, the statement says.

Witnesses allegedly told police they saw men in two vehicles, including the GMC driven by Millens, parked next to each other near Port Authority on Highway 40 and claimed one of the men had a gun, the statement says. Troopers found broken glass and spent shell casings in the area that matched the casing found in the victim’s vehicle, court documents say.

Millens was found at a family member’s residence in Boonville along with a gun, the statement says. The family allegedly told police that they did not own a gun. Millens denied being involved in the shooting and refused to give a DNA sample, the statement says.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 9-year-old boy was killed Thursday when he was hit by a pickup truck on a North Jefferson City road.

Jefferson City Police revisited the scene the area where the crash happened on Friday afternoon, closing down the road just before 1:30.

The child, who was not named in a Jefferson City Police Department release, was hit in the 12000 block of County Road 391.

The boy was riding a bicycle on the Katy Trail and crossing the county road with his friends and family when he was hit by the northbound truck, police say. The incident was called in at about 7:20 p.m. and the boy was pronounced dead at the scene a little after 8 p.m.

A 21-year-old woman from Holts Summit was driving the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado and a 23-year-old man from Jefferson City was riding in the truck.

Amy Griffith, a nearby homeowner, tells ABC 17 News she has to drive the road almost daily and that it is terrifying.

“I see bikers all the time. Sometimes they kind of slow down as they approach the intersection and sometimes they don’t, which is the scary part,” Griffith said. “You have to slow down almost to a stop, to feel like you’re safely crossing the area.”

Griffith also discussed the need for Callaway Co. officials to do something about the danger of the road.

“For drivers on this road there is zero signage, there’s no yield sign, there’s no people crossing signs or anything indicating that there is a trail that people could be crossing or using to hike or bike,” Griffith said.

The road was blocked for several hours during the emergency response, the release says.

David Thomas, with Callaway Co.’s Road and Bridge Department, stopped along the county road today and discussed the matter briefly with an ABC 17 News reporter.

He said due to the recent events that took place on the road and a child dying as a result, the department is looking into various avenues to make the road safer. He suggested solutions like adding signage and the county even doing something about the overgrown vegetation in the area that he said could be obstructing the view of drivers coming down the road.

Police say no other information will be released.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia TSA agent was charged Friday in federal court with allegedly soliciting nude photographs from a minor for money.

Daniel P. Meenehan, 64, was charged with attempted production of child pornography in the Western District of Missouri. His first court appearance was on Friday. Columbia police arrested Meenahan on Wednesday, and he remained in the Cole County Jail on Friday.

Meenehan is being held without bond.

The investigation started in October 2024 with a tip from the Miller County Sheriff’s Office to federal agents in St. Louis, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Meenehan reportedly made more than 40 transactions with a minor who was sending him nude photos.

A detention hearing is set for Tuesday.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

EDITOR’S NOTE: The story has been corrected to remove a reference that said landlords are invited. They are not.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Tenants Union is inviting renters and homeowners to its meeting at the Armory in downtown Columbia from 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday.

The union will discuss tenant rights, landlord issues and brainstorm changes. Attendees are encouraged to share their thoughts and experiences on issues they have faced as renters. The union wants to hear if people have experienced things like:

Hidden fees

Poor maintenance

Difficult landlord or managers

Eviction

Housing insecurity from a forced gap and more

The meeting will be catered and will be at 701 E Ash Street in the downstairs conference room of the Armory.

The Columbia Tenants Union invites you to RSVP in advance of the event.

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Matthew Sanders

Parents around Mid-Missouri will be shopping for school supplies soon, if they haven’t started already.

Many families are already shopping for supplies, hoping to buy before tariffs take effect on Aug. 1. Many of the items kids use in schools are imported from other countries that could fall under new tariffs.

And inflation, of course, continues to affect prices, driving up costs across a range of goods.

Are you budgeting more for school supplies this year? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Montgomery City man was charged with several misdemeanors after he allegedly stated he shot and killed six kittens.

Nicholas Xavier Sutherlin-Richard was charged on Thursday in Montgomery County with six counts of misdemeanor animal abuse. A judge was assigned the case on Thursday. A court date has not been scheduled.

Sutherlin-Richard was allegedly heard saying at the Montgomery County Courthouse on Thursday that he shot six kittens that belonged to someone else, the probable cause statement says.

Court documents claim he shot the kittens between June 30-July 3. Sutherlin-Richard then allegedly planned on leaving the state, the statement says.

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Euphenie Andre

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Back-to-school shopping is starting earlier than usual this year, as families scramble to buy supplies before new tariffs take effect next month.

For many shoppers, it’s all about beating the clock. With tariffs set to impact the cost of imported school essentials starting Aug. 1, parents and grandparents are hitting stores to avoid potential price hikes.

According to the National Retail Federation, two-thirds of back-to-school shoppers have already begun purchasing supplies.

“I’m here back-to-school shopping for my grandson before the tariffs hit,” John Leslie said.

Families with students in elementary through high school are expected to spend around of $860 this year on clothes, shoes, and supplies, according to the NRF. Leslie said he spent about $50 just on school supplies during his shopping trip.

Many essential items such as pencils, notebooks and backpacks are imported from countries like India, China and France, according to global trade data. As a result, those items could soon see an increase in price.

A Staples location in Jefferson City had much of its clearance section had already been picked over. Across the street, Walmart was still well-stocked, but many items were marked down under rollback pricing.

Online shopping remains the top source for back-to-school purchases, followed by department stores, discount stores, and clothing retailers, according to the NRF.

ABC 17 News spoke with families at various stores, most were unaware of the upcoming tariffs. There’s still time to shop, but shelves may not stay full for long.

Classes begin Aug. 18 for the Jefferson City School District.

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