FESTUS, Mo. — Missouri police and the Arkansas State Police are working together in an investigation regarding a shooting near Interstate 55 in the St. Louis suburb of Festus.
Earlier this month the Associated Press reported that Police in Missouri shot and wounded a suspect who they said opened fire after crashing his vehicle, in which investigators found the body of a female.
Police in Festus received a call on Dec. 8 at 11:10 a.m. of a report of shots fired near a restaurant, Festus Police Chief Doug Wendel said. Officers, joined by police from nearby Crystal City, found the suspect on a highway and attempted to stop the black pickup he was driving, Wendel said.
The vehicle struck a concrete median barrier and crashed near a store, Wendel said.
The suspect, wearing body armor, exited the vehicle and fired shots, Crystal City Police Chief Chad Helms said.
Two Crystal City police officers returned fire, wounding the man, who was taken to a hospital, Helms said. He had multiple gunshot wounds, Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak said. The officers were uninjured, Helms said.
In the vehicle, investigators found the body of a female they believe was dead before the shooting, Marshak said. Investigators are working to determine the cause of death, he said.
Arkansas State Police said on Wednesday that its CID was requested to assist in the investigation because the deceased woman was identified as Clara Blaxton, 45, of Independence County, Ark.
Updated information by the ASP revealed that the incident took place at a White Castle restaurant just off I-55, and that the report was of an active shooter.
The suspect, later identified as Jarrett W. Cousins, 40, of Bradford, Ark., fled the scene in a Dodge Ram truck. Police officers from Festus and Crystal City attempted to stop the vehicle before it struck a concrete median, stopping in front of a Crystal City shopping center on Truman Boulevard.
According to ASP’s release, Cousins exited the vehicle wearing body armor and armed with multiple firearms. The suspect discharged his weapons, and officers returned fire, striking the suspect. Cousins was transported to a Missouri hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition. Officers found Braxton deceased in the front passenger seat of Cousins’ vehicle.
No officers were injured during the exchange of gunfire. The Jefferson County (Missouri) Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) is investigating the officer-involved shooting. That agency has charged Cousins with one count of First-Degree Assault or Attempt – Serious Physical Injury or Special Victim and one count of Armed Criminal Action. He is being held without bond.
Blaxton’s body was sent to the Missouri Crime Lab.
JCSO requested assistance from ASP CID in investigating the death of Braxton, which investigators believe occurred in Arkansas.
ASP CID will prepare a case file for the Independence County, Ark., prosecutor to determine charges.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
