Mo. Police Cruisers Struck by Shrapnel in Explosion During Chase
What to Know
- Clinton County sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a potentially suicidal Gower man who allegedly threatened “suicide by cop” and was believed to be armed with a gun and explosive devices.
- When deputies located 54-year-old Christopher Williams, he drove away, leading police on a pursuit and allegedly displaying what appeared to be an explosive device from his vehicle.
- The chase ended in a field when an explosion erupted inside Williams’ vehicle, killing him and damaging patrol cars with shrapnel; no police officers were injured, and additional explosive devices were later found.
The man, Williams, was believed to be armed with a gun and explosive devices, officials said.
Shortly before 12:30 p.m., deputies found the man outside a home near Gower. He was wearing a backpack, didn’t follow orders from law enforcement and drove away from the scene in a vehicle, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office said.
During a chase, Williams drove “head-on toward deputies while displaying what appeared to be a suspected explosive device out the driver’s window.”
The pursuit moved into a field, where an explosion occurred in the man’s vehicle. Shrapnel from the blast hit nearby patrol cars, but no law enforcement officers were injured, officials said.
Rick Bashor, a spokesman for the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, told The Star that Williams did not exit the vehicle and died in the explosion.
The Kansas City Police Department’s bomb squad was called, and officers found other explosive devices in the vehicle, authorities said.
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