Category: kmiz-local-news

Matthew Sanders

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said Tuesday that he’s looking into the City of Columbia’s policies and practices related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

It’s not the first time Bailey has intervened in Columbia’s local issues. In 2023, he wrote a letter to Columbia Public Schools demanding firings or resignations after students attended an event that included a drag performance.

This time, Bailey is demanding information from the city about its DEI-related policies, on the heels of a Columbia City Council vote to keep DEI-related language in key city policies. The city manager says the city doesn’t use quotas or any other metrics to favor any racial or other demographic group.

Do you think Bailey’s investigation is worthwhile? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Tuesday press release from the Central Missouri Humane Society says an anonymous donor will match up to $2.5 million in donations this month.

The money will be put toward its new campus it intends to build on a 17.5-acre property on East Brown School Road, according to the release. It also states that CMHS does not receive funding from national humane organizations.

“Simply put, we’ve outgrown our building—and it’s literally falling apart,” CMHS Executive Driector Julie Aber said in the release. “Our building is crumbling around us. We’re committed to saving lives every day, but we can’t keep doing it in a facility that’s unsafe for animals, staff, and the public.”

More than 50 foster families signed up to take in dogs nearly two weeks ago, when CMHS stated on its social media that space-based euthanasia was an option for the first time in more than a decade.

The total cost of the new building is estimated around $25 million.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The parents of a Boone County Jail inmate who died in 2022 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against several defendants, including Boone County and Sheriff Dwayne Carey.

The lawsuit claims that Douglas Johnson, 26, died on July 2, 2022, while in the jail’s custody after suffering from opioid withdrawals. David and Carla Johnson filed the lawsuit on Tuesday against several defendants, including 16 deputies, the jail administrator, Carey, the county, Advanced Correctional Healthcare, a doctor and four nurses.

The lawsuit accuses ACH, and the other medical professionals of wrongful death by medical malpractice while all other defendants were accused of multiple counts of deliberate indifference.

The 102-page lawsuit says that Douglas Johnson was booked into the jail at 5:08 a.m. June 29, 2022. A medical screening allegedly said Johnson was not under the influence, while a response form by the booking officer indicated he was, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit says additional questions were not asked since staff declared Johnson did not have withdrawal symptoms.

The complaint alleges Johnson was high on fentanyl when he was booked into the jail and started experiencing withdrawal symptoms; and claims jail staff refused to take vital signs and detox vital signs.

It also alleges staff knew Johnson to be a daily user of fentanyl and had a history of experiencing withdrawal symptoms. It also claims that Johnson was not given food and eventually experienced intense symptoms of withdrawal before being brought to an area hospital on July 2.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

No charges will be filed against the four Columbia police officers involved in a fatal shooting of a man who was accused of murder.

Four Columbia police officers — Zachary Beringer, Ryan Brunstrom, Dylan Caldieraro and Malique Dameron — fired their weapons at Timothy Turner, 37, of Columbia, on Feb. 1, according to a letter to the Missouri State Highway Patrol from Callaway County Prosecuting Attorney Sandra Colhour. The memo was dated Tuesday. Colhour was named the special prosecutor in the case.

Turner was a suspect in a homicide that occurred earlier in the day. Charges eventually appeared on Casenet days later for Turner, which included first-degree murder and armed criminal action in Randolph County.

The Columbia Police Department was asked by Moberly police to help in the investigation and a vehicle driven by Turner was found in the 1500 block of Raleigh Drive in Columbia. A SWAT team was activated. A crisis negotiator told Turner to come out, but nothing occurred, the document says.

Law enforcement learned from multiple sources that Turner was holding multiple children and a woman against their will, according to the memo from Colhour. A standoff ensued.

After about an hour, Turner allegedly walked out to the patio of the home while naked and holding something behind his back, the document says. Turner was allegedly holding a knife and refused to drop it when officers gave commands, the document says.

Minutes later, “six 4557 40 mm less than lethal foam baton rounds were deployed, at least one of which struck Turner. The less than lethal rounds were not effective,” documents say.

Turner then allegedly started swinging a knife and police sent a K-9, the document says. Turner allegedly held the knife above his head and the four officers shot him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Colhour wrote that the use of force was “reasonable.”

“In this case, the deadly force used by the officers was objectively reasonable in light of credible information that Turner had committed the felony of murder; Turner’s ongoing refusal to respond to verbal commands; Turner’s failure to respond to non-deadly physical force; Turner’s wielding of the knife, a deadly weapon, in close proximity to officers; officers’ reasonable belief that the lives or safety of the home’s occupants would be in danger if Turner reentered the unit; and the reasonable belief that when Turner lunged toward officers with the knife raised, he posed an immediate risk to the officers’ lives or physical safety,” the memo says

Colhour wrote that “the use of deadly force to effect an arrest, law enforcement officers are justified in using deadly force in self-defense or defense of others to the extent the use of such force would be justified by any other citizen.”

CPD Officer-Involved Shooting_PA to MSHP_7.2.25Download

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Camdenton man was charged on Tuesday after he allegedly stole a truck and trailer on Monday and led law enforcement on a chase to Callaway County.

Eric Burns, 39, was charged with first-degree tampering with a vehicle and aggravated fleeing. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. An initial court appearance was held on Tuesday.

The probable cause statement says that law enforcement received a report of a truck being stolen on Green Meadows Road. A Boone County deputy pulled his vehicle in front of the stolen vehicle, Burns smiled and then drove off the road, the statement says.

The chase went to Interstate 70 and Callaway County deputies used spike strips to stop the vehicle.

Court documents say Burns told law enforcement that he decided to steal the truck because it was running and his feet hurt. He allegedly planned on driving the vehicle back to Camdenton.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

No injuries were reported in a house fire on Monday morning in the 2700 block of Bluebird Drive in Mexico, Missouri, according to a press release from the Mexico Department of Public Safety.

The home’s resident saw smoke coming from the house and called firefighters. The release says that fire was found in the basement and crews extinguished it. The room had moderate heat and fire damage, while the rest of the home had significant smoke damage, the release says.

The release says that the fire started where a large remote-controlled vehicle was charging.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A former Fulton Police Department detective was charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor in Boone County after he allegedly pointed a gun at roof workers.

Christopher Eston, 39, of Columbia, was charged on Tuesday with unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and misdemeanor fourth-degree assault. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

Fulton Director of Administration Courtney Doyle wrote in an email to ABC 17 News that Eston is no longer employed by the police department. Dates of his employment were not immediately available.

The probable cause statement says that deputies were called to the 4300 block of South Germantown Drive on Monday for a “past weapons offense” after someone in an apartment pointed a gun at workers.

One of the victims alleged that he was with his crew while working on a roof and were told to fix a few shingles on the building next door, the statement says. A woman allegedly told them to leave and threatened to bring out dogs, the statement says. Eston then allegedly started yelling at the workers and pointed a gun at them, the statement says.

Police spoke with Eston and the woman. The woman allegedly said that they were asleep when workers started doing work on the building and she asked them to leave.

The woman allegedly showed law enforcement video, which showed her yelling at the workers, making a threat of bringing out dogs and Eston threatening to shoot them, the statement says. Eston allegedly told police that he held a gun, but did not point it, court documents say.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man with a tattoo from The Legend of Zelda has been charged with two felonies after he allegedly stole a gun and two guitars in 2023.

Dakota Fratzke, of Mexico, Missouri, was charged with second-degree burglary and stealing more than $25,000. A warrant was issued and no bond was set. He was not in custody on Tuesday afternoon.

The probable cause statement says that police were called to a Mexico residence on Oct. 9, 2023, about a burglary. Someone described as a caretaker told police that two guitars and a gun were stolen from the residence, the statement says. The total value of the items was estimated at $40,000, with one of the guitars being worth $25,000, the statement says.

Court documents say camera footage showed someone with a Triforce tattoo on their right forearm. A Triforce is a symbol from the video game The Legend of Zelda that is made up of three triangles.

The officer wrote in the statement that they learned on Dec. 3, 2024, that Fratzke had a Triforce tattor on his right forearm.

Fratzke pleaded guilty to multiple crimes on March 10, including second-degree burglary, first-degree property damage and misdemeanor stealing. He was sentenced to probation for five years along with a suspended sentence, court filings show.

A press release from December indicates that he was accused of breaking into a business in Mexico on Dec. 2 in the 300 block of Muldrow Street.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Ashland residents can expect to see a sizable increase to their sewer bill.

After Gov. Mike Kehoe on Monday used a veto to strike down $11 million from the state budget for sewer system improvements in Ashland, a city spokesperson says a 23% jump in sewer bills will occur.

The city broke ground on a wastewater treatment facility on May 5. Previous reporting indicates the expansion will increase the facility’s capacity from 600,000 gallons per day to 1.6 million gallons per day. It could treat up to 2.6 million gallons per day once it is fully built out.

Ashland spokesperson Kyle Michel wrote in an email on Tuesday that the state funding request was intended to be used to reduce rate increases for customers.

“The project will require, at a minimum, 23% rate increases on sewer bills each year for the next three years,” Michel wrote. “Funding from the state would have reduced or eliminated part of these increases and would also have positioned the City to return some aspects of the project that were cut. While it is disappointing that our funding request was cut, our project was not exclusively singled out. All wastewater funding requests were cut. We did what we could to ensure our project stayed in the budget in an effort to protect our rate payers.”

Michel wrote that the “project is under construction and will move forward regardless as it is an essential project that must happen.”

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Haley Swaino

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The ambush killing of two firefighters in Idaho on Sunday has left firefighters nationwide shaken.

While battling a blaze in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, two firefighters were killed and another was seriously injured. The gunman is believed to have started the fire to lure and target the responding firefighters, officials said.

Fire departments across Mid-Missouri have shared messages of grief since the incident.

“It is with profound sorrow that we join our profession in honoring those lost in Kootenai County, Idaho, at the Canfield Fire,” Columbia Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer says in a CFD post on Monday. “The murders were senseless and brutal.”

Schaeffer is the former Spokane Fire Chief (Washington) and told ABC 17 News he worked closely with the Idaho crew.

“It’s been tough,” Schaeffer said. I mean, it has been pretty surreal for me.”

Though separated geographically, he said he is still bonded to his firefighting brothers and sisters in Kootenai County.

“As it [ambush] was happening, I was getting pinged from folks at the scene and it’s tough when you can’t do anything about it,” Schaeffer said. “The men that were killed were exceptional human beings, good friends, and definitely very good firefighters and battalion chiefs.”

He said his heart goes out to those affected and the firefighters now working through the unimaginable.

“You hope that you never have to experience what Kootenai County is experiencing right now,” Schaeffer said. “But hope isn’t a strategy.”

He explained that no amount of training can truly prepare first responders for something like this.

“I don’t think anybody is ever expecting to go to a fire and encounter an active shooter, somebody that has purposely set up an area where they intend to kill you,” Schaeffer said. “And that’s what they were facing.”

For the past year, Schaffer said the city has been more pragmatic in planning because of incidents like this becoming a trend.

“Football games, street festivals, even parades, you’re seeing a much more unified command,” Schaeffer said. “Now we’re recognizing that there are risks that are nefarious.”

And some of those nefarious incidents have hit even closer to home.

“Like what we saw in Kansas City with a paramedic firefighter that was killed in the back of the ambulance trying to take care of somebody,” Schaeffer said. “Those type of incidents we are seeing in the data and unfortunately, it’s becoming a trend.”

“The complexity, the risks over our entire discipline have changed significantly in the last 10, 20 years,” Schaeffer said. “Certainly within the last couple. We’re seeing a lot more abuse and physical assault and attacks on first responders.”

Schaeffer said CFD has at least one captain present at every scene they respond to.

“Their responsibility is making sure that that crew goes home at the end of the day,” Schaeffer said. “She or he will be head on swivel all the time analyzing the risk based on experience, based on training, sometimes even based on guts.” Oftentimes we’ll have officers just say, ‘You know what, we’re not comfortable here.”

But to ensure that firefighter continue to make it back home each day, he said something needs to be done.

“Now the focus needs to be, how did we get here,” Schaeffer said. “How can we identify these problems before they happen and how can we go upstream? Is it mental health funding? Is it Medicare, Medicaid funding? What is it? And that’s where my mind is. Because the reality is that we can’t protect ourselves from every incident. We can’t. We just can’t.”

The Jefferson City Fire Department also shared its grief on social media Monday, saying “our hearts are heavy.”

The “tragic loss” was “an act of senseless violence,” JCFD says.

“We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Idaho as they navigate this unimaginable loss,” the post says. “Firefighters risk their lives every day to protect others — they should never have to fear being targeted for doing their job.”

The International Association of Fire Fighters is also standing in solidarity with Idahoans, calling Sunday’s incident “nothing short of horrific.”

“We mourn the loss of our two brothers, Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief and Local 710 member John Morrison, Jr., and Kootenai County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief and Local 2856 member Frank Harwood, and are keeping their families and loved ones in our prayers,” IAFF General President Edwards Kelly says in a press release. “Our thoughts are also with Local 710 Brother, Coeur d’Alene Fire Engineer Dave Tysdal, who was shot and remains hospitalized.”

Kelly says the IAFF ensuring first responders’ safety means holding people who make these sorts of attacks responsible.

“In no civilized nation should first responders be targets for violence,” Kelly says.

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