Author: KMIZ

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.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

University of Missouri international student State says he lives in a constant state of fear.

Stand Up 4 Students coalition staged a walk-out in front of Jesse Hall to protest, as many international students across the country fear getting their legal status revoked. At least 100 people gathered on the north side of Jesse Hall at 2:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

“Me and my girlfriend, we are always scared,” he said. “I feel like I have zero control in my life. Tomorrow my life can change. Tomorrow I can find myself deported.”

State — who wished to be identified by just that name — says his worries have only grown since President Donald Trump took office in January. Thousands of foreign students have had their visas revoked at the hands of the Trump Administration, including five on MU’s campus.

According to university spokesman Christopher Ave, all five of those students have had them reinstated. But for some students like State–who is from Egypt– still say the chance of being deported is a constant, overwhelming thought.

“Sometimes that makes you kind of go through destructive stuff. Like first of all, you procrastinate and you play a lot of games. You’re trying to distract your mind,” State said.

Students also protested the university’s compliance with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency and Anti-Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility policies.

Students chanted the words “Say it once, say it twice, we will not put up with ICE,” demanding the university take into consideration their concerns.

The Stand Up 4 Students coalition has a list of demands for the University of Missouri that includes:

Protect the freedom of speech of students, specifically students with visas, by refusing to report and/or punish students on the basis of criticism of the United States and its allies.

Respect the autonomy of student organizations by refraining from academically, financially, or otherwise punishing student organizations for events promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Ensure that there is no compliance or assistance with Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigations and searches, unless otherwise required by law.

Pursue recruitment policies and scholarship opportunities that actively seek out Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and

Provide legal support and a pathway to degree completion for students whose visas are cancelled.

In a statement sent to ABC 17 News Friday afternoon, MU spokesman Christopher Ave said the university is committed to freedom of speech.

“University policies regarding compliance with law enforcement investigations were implemented to provide clear guidance to university employees should they be approached by someone from a law enforcement agency,” the statement reads. “Any notion that employees should attempt to impede law enforcement officials is untenable and could put our employees at risk of physical confrontation or arrest.”

Ian De Smet attended Friday’s protest. De Smet said he was born in Kansas, but grew up in Chile before coming back to the U.S. to attend college. He stood outside Jesse Hall on MU’S campus Friday with tears in his eyes as he spoke about the discomfort he says it brings him to know what others are enduring.

“As much as I hold that passport and that social security number, like at heart I’m Chilean… as much as it might feel overwhelming, we need to take a stand against that,” De Smet said.

Friday’s protest took a turn when the president of the College of Republicans showed up.

He stood in a yellow shirt, wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and carrying a yellow, black and white flag reading “College of Republicans.” His appearance drew attention from protesters immediately, with some yelling at him to leave. He claimed he only wanted to speak with protesters.

Protester Piper Molins was seen trying to calm the crowd down, telling people to pay attention to the person who was giving their testimonial at the time, rather than him.

“It’s disturbing, it’s frustrated to be interrupted, however he does have the same right to free speech,” Molins said to ABC 17 News after the protest.

According to Ave, the university will also abide by a 2023 supreme court decision to eliminate race-based recruitment and scholarships.

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Matthew Sanders

While it wasn’t unexpected, it did come at an odd time — long after the Signal chat story broke, the man who took responsibility is out as national security adviser.

Former congressman Mike Waltz will instead be President Donald Trump’s next nominee for UN ambassador. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will add interim national security adviser to his already substantial list of jobs.

Other Trump cabinet members are facing heat, such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Do you think any of them should be fired or shuffled to different positions? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Kehoe on Thursday requested that President Donald Trump approve a major disaster declaration to give federal assistance to 26 Missouri counties impacted by storm damage and flooding, a press release says.

Kehoe is requesting federal assistance during the period from March 30-April 8, the release says. Eighteen of those counties were included in the federal disaster declaration request made by Kehoe on April 2.

FEMA individual assistance is requested for Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Cooper, Dunklin, Howell, Iron, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Ozark, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, Vernon, Washington and Wayne counties.

Public assistance is requested for Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Cooper, Douglas, Dunklin, Howell, Iron, Madison, Maries, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Ozark, Pemiscot, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, Texas, Vernon, Wayne and Webster counties.

Individual assistance allows eligible residents to seek federal assistance for temporary housing, housing repairs, replacing damage belongs and vehicles and other expenses. Public assistance would local governments and nonprofits to see federal assistance for reimbursement of emergency response-and-recovery costs, including repairs and replacements to public infrastructure.

Joint damage assessments done by FEMA, SEMA, the US Small Business Administration and local officials estimated more than $25.5 million occurred in emergency response costs and damage to public infrastructure.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

More than 1,200 Ameren customers in Boone County have power back after an outage was reported on Thursday evening.

An Ameren spokesperson told ABC 17 News in an email that the outage was caused by “a power line issue which feeds a substation in Hallsville.” Crews are currently working on restoring power.

Boone County Joint Communications sent a notification at 7:10 p.m. stating that 868 customers in Hallsville were without power.

The outage was expected to be restored by 1 a.m. Friday, according to the notification and a posting on Ameren’s outage map. The outage was first reported at 6:50 p.m.

Check back for updates.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

ABC 17 News premiered its new studio during its 5 p.m. newscast on Thursday.

The studio is located at the same building. It took roughly a month to deconstruct the old studio and build the new one.

A larger weather center and enhanced equipment are features of the new set.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Former Sedalia Councilman Tom Oldham has been removed from a nonprofit’s board of directors.

Sedalia Citizens Against Spouse Abuse announced in a Thursday social media post that it terminated Oldham’s board membership.

Oldham stepped down from his position last week after “serious allegations” were brought against him, the City of Sedalia wrote in a social media post. The city did not elaborate on the allegations in the post or in communications with ABC 17 News.

Pettis County Sheriff Brad Anders told ABC 17 News in emails that his office is investigating Oldham. The criminal investigation includes the possible sexual harassment of a youth.

Anders wrote last week that the investigation “involves the extraction of data from electronic devices,” so there is no timeline for when possible charges could be filed. Charges have yet to appear on Casenet.

“Like many, we are saddened to learn of these allegations and the effects it has had on several of our community members. It can be shocking or alarming to learn of the abuse perpetrated by individuals in positions of power. However, our knowledge and awareness of these atrocities is attributed first and foremost to the courageous survivors who have come forward to report the abuse to friends, family, colleagues, and/or authorities. It is their bravery that inspires everyone at CASA to continue providing life-changing, life-saving, confidential services,” CASA wrote in its statement.

“For 42 years, we have been committed to our mission to empower victims of domestic and sexual violence to regain control of their lives through education, advocacy, and coordination of community resources. We remain committed to this mission and have always and will always stand with survivors. If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse, please contact CASA. We are here to help and WE BELIEVE YOU!”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The owner of The Peanut Gallery on Highway 5 in Camdenton has been charged with multiple felonies after she was accused of trafficking methamphetamine.

Jennifer Schaunel, 54, of Camdenton, was charged on Thursday in Camden County with second-degree drug trafficking and four counts of unlawful use of a weapon. She is being held at the Camden County Jail without bond. A court date has not been set.

Court documents say law enforcement had a warrant and needed to force itself into the locked building, and Schaunel was found behind the register of the business. The location doubles as Schaunel’s residence, court documents say. She allegedly denied knowing any methamphetamine was in the building.

Law enforcement found multiple guns, 54.4 grams of meth and a scale and a pipe that had meth residence, the statement says. She later admitted to picking up the drugs.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The annual March for Life took place in Missouri’s capital city on Thursday, with scores of people from Missouri and elsewhere rallying against legalized abortion.

The event took place as Republican lawmakers and officeholders work to overturn Amendment 3, which was approved by voters last November and enshrines abortion rights into the Missouri Constitution.

A resolution in the Senate would put a question on a future ballot to overturn Amendment 3 and severely limit abortions statewide. The House has already approved the measure.

“Missourians, we’re not finished, you know, we are going to do everything that we can to offer help and hope to these moms who find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy because that’s what it’s all about,” said organizer Kathy Forck.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Mexico, Missouri, man has been charged with several felonies after he allegedly fired a gun filled with people on Tuesday.

Derek Clifton was charged with unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action, three counts of first-degree assault and one count of first-degree harassment. A warrant was served and a confined docket hearing was held on Wednesday, where his bond was reduced to $250,000. An initial court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, May 22.

The probable cause statement says three people were in a car traveling away from a trailer court when Clifton yelled at the car to stop. Clifton allegedly asked if one of the victims was in the car and then pulled out a “long gun” while telling them to get off his property, court documents say. The driver sped away and all three people in the car heard a gunshot, while one reported seeing a flash.

Another person quoted in court documents said that they saw Clifton tell the car to stop and then heard a gunshot. Another person told law enforcement that they heard Clifton’s voice before a gunshot went off, court documents say.

Clifton allegedly admitted to law enforcement that he was in an argument, but denied firing the gun, the statement says. Deputies obtained a search warrant and found several guns and ammunition on his property, the statement says.

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