Category: kmiz-local-news

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was arrested following an hours-long standoff Friday at a West Columbia apartment complex has been charged with two felonies.

Michael Whited, 59, of Columbia, was charged with second-degree making a terroristic threat, resisting arrest and three counts of misdemeanor fourth-degree assault.

He was arrested on Friday and was brought to an area hospital for a precautionary screening, police said on Friday night. Court documents say he was placed on a 96-hour hold at University Hospital for a mental evaluation.

According to the probable cause statement, the victim told police that she was walking her dog around 6:50 a.m. Friday at Ash Street Apartments when Whited pulled out a rifle and threatened to shoot her and the dog. The victim claimed they never met or interacted with Whited prior to him pulling out the gun, court documents say.

The victim ducked away and hid for cover while Whited threatened to shoot, the statement says. Two people saw Whited point the gun and Whited then pointed it at another person who saw him, the statement says. Whited allegedly was looking into windows of vehicles in the parking lot of the complex, as well, the statement says.

Another person described as “SUBJECT 1” in court documents saw Whited go in and out of the building he resided and was contacted by several people about him having the gun, the statement says. That person was able to put together Whited was the man with the gun based on descriptions given by the victims, the statement says.

That person also stated in court documents that Whited was heard screaming through apartment walls the night before. That person also stated Whited went to the main office of the complex and screamed about wanting to kill his coworkers in February, the statement says.

Police went to Whited’s apartment around 9 a.m. and he allegedly refused to open the door and told them “come back later or you’re dead,“ court documents say. He also made references to “demons,” according to the statement.

A standoff then occurred for several hours. Once police entered the apartment, they found Whited barricaded in his bathroom and found a gun in the apartment.

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia police arrested a man Monday after a stabbing near an elementary school.

Arthur Hooks, 70, was arrested after a report of a stabbing in the 2900 block of Leeway Drive, near Blue Ridge Elementary School, the Columbia Police Department wrote in a news release. There was no indication in the release that the incident involved the school or that students were in danger.

Officers arrested Hooks on suspicion of first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. Charges had not been filed early Monday afternoon.

He is currently listed on the Boone County Jail’s online roster and is being held without bond.

Gabrielle Teiner

BENTON COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 37-year-old Windsor man was seriously hurt after a crash in Benton County just before 4:30 p.m. Sunday, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The report states a 17-year-old boy from Edwards was driving a 1999 Dodge south on Highway 7 at Cold Springs when he tried to pass a 2014 Toyota, with four people inside, and hit the back of the Toyota.

The Windsor man, a passenger in the Toyota, was flown to Research Hospital in Kansas City for treatment.

Two other passengers, a 35-year-old Kansas City, Kansas man and a 31-year-old Belton man, suffered minor injuries from the crash and were taken to Golden Valley Memorial Hospital by ambulance.

The driver of the Toyota, a 32-year-old woman from Basehor, Kansas, was uninjured.

It is unknown if the passengers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, although the report states that the drivers of both cars were wearing seatbelts.

The Dodge had minor damage, but the Toyota was totaled.

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

It was a violent weekend in Columbia.

Very violent.

A flurry of shots like a firefight broke out Saturday night during a party at Cosmo Park, leaving one person with critical injuries. Another person suffered serious injuries.

Two men were injured, and two minors, both male, were arrested early Sunday in a Downtown Columbia shooting. Another person was shot in the leg Friday night in south Columbia but had only minor injuries.

That wasn’t the area’s only gun violence, as a shooting also happened Sunday in Callaway County that left one person dead and another with critical injuries.

But it’s Columbia where gun violence makes frequent headlines and where residents have regularly expressed their dissatisfaction with violent crime levels. Are these just a city’s growing pains, or is Columbia’s nature radically changing?

Let us know what you think by voting in the poll.

Nia Hinson

EDITOR’S NOTE: The age of the driver has been corrected.

CALLAWAY COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 15-year-old boy from Auxvasse was injured when a truck he was riding in rolled in Callaway County on Sunday morning.

According to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the boy was riding in a 1998 GMC Sonoma, driven by a 16-year-old boy from Fulton, on eastbound Interstate 70 at the 152 mile marker just before 8 a.m. The truck went off the road, rolled, and hit an embankment.

The passenger was taken to University Hospital with serious injuries. The driver was not injured.

According to the report, the passenger was not wearing a seatbelt during the crash.

Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Transportation finished removing an exit ramp ahead of schedule, opening all lanes of Interstate 70 in Columbia sooner than anticipated.

The ramp removal is part of the ongoing “Improve I-70” project aimed at redesigning one of mid-Missouri’s busiest interchanges. The department had warned that the demolition of the exit ramp from westbound Interstate 70 to Business Loop 70 would cause traffic delays for drivers all weekend.

MoDOT had planned to reopen the closed portion on Monday at 6 a.m.

Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Multiple power outages were reported across Columbia Sunday morning. City of Columbia Utilities told ABC 17 News about 4,700 customers were affected.

Outages began being reported shortly before 7 a.m.

City Utilities spokesman Jason West said in an email at 9:31 a.m. on Sunday that power should be fully restored.

“There are currently no outages being reported,” West said in an email.