Category: kmiz-local-news

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Police say a California man was the suspect shot by officers on Christmas Day inside a gas station.

Marc Lucas, 31, was identified as the suspect in two separate incidents that preceded the shooting Thursday morning inside a Break Time gas station near Highway 63 and East Stadium Boulevard, the Columbia Police Department wrote in a news release.

In the first incident at about 9:20 a.m. Thursday, Lucas is accused of first-degree arson and first-degree property damage in the 3300 block of Lemone Industrial Boulevard, the release states. CPD provided no details about the alleged arson, but said officers didn’t at first realize Lucas was a suspect.

“Columbia Police were not aware when they interacted with Lucas that he was the suspect in the arson investigation,” the release states.

Officers were called a little after 10 a.m. to the 1400 block of Cinnamon Hill Lane, where Lucas is accused of first-degree trespassing, three counts of fourth-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action, police say. CPD did not release other details about the call.

Officers encountered Lucas inside the Break Time about an hour later when he “attempted to attack a patron inside a store with a knife,” according to the release.

Officers used a Taser on Lucas, who had a knife, and then used a gun when he tried to assault an officer, the release says.

Lucas was hospitalized after the shooting. He was not in the Boone County Jail on Friday afternoon.

The two officers who fired at Lucas during the encounter were placed on administrative leave while the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigates.

Missouri courts were closed on Friday, so it was not clear whether Lucas had been charged.

Information about Lucas’ medical condition was not immediately available.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A boil-water order issued by the City of Eldon after E. coli was detected in the city’s system has reached 10 days and is still going.

The city issued the order on instructions from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources after a test revealed high levels of E. coli in the system on Dec. 16, the city said at the time. The state says the increased bacteria present an “acute” health risk.

The city posted a message Thursday afternoon on its Facebook page saying the order was still in effect after one of eight samples tested positive.

“The City is working closely with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and will continue required testing until all results confirm the issue is fully resolved. The Boil Water Order will remain in effect until DNR authorizes it to be lifted,” the post states.

The city gave out cases of water to residents this week to provide them with potable water.

The city said on Tuesday that positive samples were isolated to City Hall and the Public Safety Building.

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Matthew Sanders

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (KMIZ)

The Mizzou Tigers will play Virginia in the Gator Bowl on Saturday.

Watch the coaches talk in the media player.

Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Camdenton man was in the Miller County Jail on Friday morning after his arrest following a chase and crash on Christmas night.

Robert E. Smith, 52, was arrested on suspicion of felony DWI, felony leaving the scene of a crash, felony resisting arrest and driving while revoked, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol arrest report.

The high-speed chase started in Eldon and was later terminated, said Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F spokesman Sgt. Kyle Green. Authorities later found the vehicle crashed in a field near Highway 54 and Atchison Road in Miller County, he said.

Smith was jailed without bond. Other details were not immediately available.

Missouri courts were closed Friday, so information about the case was not available.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 17-year-old driver and his 16-year-old passenger suffered serious injuries in a crash late Wednesday in Randolph County.

The driver from Cairo, Missouri, went off the left side of the road and crashed into a creek on West Shore Drive, about 4 miles west of Jacksonville, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. The driver and his passenger, who is from Kansas City, were taken to University Hospital by ambulance.

Neither of the boys was wearing a seat belt, the report says.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Police shot a man armed with a knife after he reportedly tried to assault an officer on Christmas morning at a southeast Columbia gas station.

Officers were called to the Break Time at East Stadium and Maguire boulevards a little after 10:30 a.m. Thursday. They shot a man who had the knife, and he was taken to a hospital, a Columbia Police Department spokesperson said.

Boone County sheriff’s deputies and Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers were also at the scene.

CPD spokesperson said MSHP is investigating the incident because it was an officer-involved shooting.

CPD Deputy Chief Matt Stephens said no officers were hurt, but the two officers involved in the incident are on administrative leave, per CPD policy, Stephens said.

The confrontation happened inside the gas station, Stephens said. Officers tried to use a stun gun before shooting at the suspect, Stephens said.

The 911 call reported the suspect was nearby on Cinnamon Hill, but police found him at the Break Time station.

Stephens said the suspect went into surgery and came out of it, but couldn’t give an update on his condition.

Stephens also couldn’t release the names of the suspect or the officers.

Residents said the timing made the situation even more frightening. With many businesses closed for the holiday, the gas station was one of the few places open.

“It’s scary, especially on a big holiday,” said Kennedy Killian, who lives nearby. “It’s a gas station, there aren’t many places open on Christmas. People stop to grab a drink or a snack before seeing family. To think someone was armed or that shots were fired is terrifying.”

Columbia Police dispatch records show officers have responded to numerous calls in the area around the shooting. In December alone, Columbia Police handled 11 dispatch calls in the area of Cinnamon Hill Lane, ranging from disturbances and welfare checks to accidents, harassment and 911 checks.

Residents living in the apartment complex next to where the shooting occurred said the violence hits close to home.

“It’s scary to know that kind of thing can just happen around the place we are staying,” said resident Jowei Tien. “So I feel a bit worried about the shooting.” 

Police activity in the area extends beyond just this month. Since the beginning of the year, dispatch records show 51 calls to the 3200 block of East Stadium Boulevard. The most common calls involved checking open businesses, larceny reports and accidents.

Killian said the shooting reflects a broader concern about safety across Columbia.

“I would say everything in Columbia is pretty close to downtown. I’m not very far, this place isn’t very far from downtown.” Killian said. “There have been numerous shootings and attacks, so it just doesn’t seem like a safe place for kids and families to want to stay.”

Tien said she is grateful many people were out of town for the holiday.

“I feel like it’s just a bit crazy to suddenly know a shooting can happen so random. And I’m also glad that people are out to their hometown so they’re not around,” she said.

Break Time closed in the aftermath of the shooting. An employee told to ABC 17 the store plans to reopen Friday.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man died, and a woman was flown to University Hospital with serious injuries after they were hit by a car while crossing a highway on Christmas Eve.

The 85-year-old man and 86-year-old woman were crossing Route M west of Stoney Gap Road in Taos at about 8:20 p.m. when they were hit by a Honda Accord driven by a 16-year-old boy from Jefferson City, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report.

The man was pronounced dead at Capital Region Medical Center.

The 16-year-old driver was not hurt.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department is set to graduate its third recruit class from its in-house training academy launched Nov. 2024.

The 14 Police Officers in Training will graduate January 16th, 2026 and add their names to the list of the other 21 students from the academy’s first two classes from March and Aug. of 2025.

However, even with its new members the department is sitting at around 17 vacancies for its sworn positions and 18 vacancies for its civilian positions, according to Lt. Clint Sinclair, with CPD.

Following graduation from the academy, the incoming officers will still have to go through field training. That means another four to five months until they can work on their own.

CPD isn’t the only law enforcement agency struggling with staffing in the Mid Missouri area. The Missouri State Highway Patrol tells ABC 17 News it has 133 vacancies across its nine troops, according to Capt. Scott White.

On Friday, the Patrol’s Law Enforcement Academy held its graduation for 25 new troopers. The troopers of the 124th recruit class will report to duty for their assigned troops on Jan. 5, 2026.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department is cautioning residents to be aware of the risk around home robbers and package thieves this holiday season.

Lt. Clint Sinclair, with CPD, tells ABC 17 News the holidays create the perfect opportunity for them to commit their crimes. He said people should not leave things, like boxes from big name items, in plain sight for everyone to see.

Sinclair also suggested home lighting, specifically motion lights, as a way to deter criminals.

If someone is not home but they are still recieving packages their door, Sinclar said to ask a neighbor or trusted friend to grab the package and hold onto it. He said leaving a car in the driveway can also help people’s homes look occupied if no one is home either.  

Columbia Fire officials tell ABC 17 News its also the peak time for home fires. Colin Wright, Columbia Assistant Fire Marshal, said the months of December, January and February make up about 40% of all home fires in the country. One of those causes being candle fires. Wright said 12% of all candle fires happpen in Dec. and 10% happen in Jan.

Wright said the candle fires tend to stem from candles mixed with home decorations, or in Christmas trees. He suggested fake or electronic candles as a safer alternative.

Cooking fires also make up between 42% to 48% of all fires in the U.S. with an noticeable increase around the holidays. Wright said CFD responds to at least two to three unattended cooking fires each year during the holidays. He recommends setting timers and staying in the kitchen to best avoid the possibility of a fire.

Wright listed Christmas lights as another hazard, a hazard many people may not even think to look out for.

“Before you put your Christmas lights up, you should be looking over your wires, making sure that everything is intact, everything’s working well,” Wright said. “If you’re still using older incandescent light bulbs, switch to LED lights they don’t produce as much heat as the incandescent bulbs.”

According to Wright, CFD has seen a decrease in Christmas tree fires that they credit to ongoing education. Wright said reports tally about 143 Christmas tree fires each year.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who court documents say is an emergency room doctor was charged Tuesday with four felonies after an alleged sexual and domestic assault in Ashland.

Jeffrey L. Teeter, 46, was arrested early Tuesday at an Ashland address after a woman told deputies that he had slapped her, punched her, raped her and threatened her with a gun, including firing it out a window, according to a probable cause statement.

Teeter was charged with first-degree domestic assault, unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and first-degree sodomy. He was in the Boone County Jail on Wednesday without bond.

Boone County deputies found a gun and shell casings at the scene that matched the victim’s story, the statement says. The woman also recorded audio of the incident, according to the statement.

The victim went to the emergency room for a sexual assault exam, the statement says.

The statement says Teeter is an emergency room doctor at a hospital in Pettis County. He has a Jefferson City address listed in court records.

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