Suspended Sturgeon cop who shot dog responded to mobile home standoff as Hallsville police officer
HALLSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Sturgeon police officer who was placed on paid leave after he shot and killed a blind-and-deaf dog responded to a standoff last week in the small town as a member of another law enforcement agency.
Officer Myron Woodson was a part of the large response at a Sturgeon mobile home park on Tuesday, June 4, Hallsville Police Chief Bryan Schultz said during Monday night’s Hallsville Board of Aldermen meeting. Schultz had commended Woodson for his help in the response to the standoff. Woodson was one of two Hallsville police officers who were called to the scene, Schultz said.
Damion Linder was found dead in a trailer following an hours-long standoff where shots were fired between him and law enforcement. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating. It was not clear last week if Linder was shot by law enforcement or if he shot himself. Several law enforcement agencies, including the Columbia Police Department, were called to the scene.
Woodson killed a 13-pound Shih Tzu on May 19. The City of Sturgeon called for an administrative investigation on May 30 and placed Woodson on paid leave.
Body camera footage from Woodson – which ABC 17 News obtained through a records request – showed that Woodson shot the dog about three minutes from his initial contact with the animal. Woodson made several attempts to capture the dog that were unsuccessful. The dog did not appear to make an attempt to bite or growl at Woodson throughout the video.
On May 20, the city Sturgeon claimed in a social media post that the officer saw the dog “behaving strangely and displaying signs of possible injuries” that was “perceived to be rabid behavior.” Another social media post from the city claimed it reviewed the footage and believed Woodson “acted within his authority based on the information available to him at the time to protect against possible injury to citizens from what appeared to be an injured, sick, and abandoned dog.”
Former Kevin Abrahamson resigned from his position about a week after the shooting. The city later wrote online that the first time any aldermen saw the footage was after it was reported by ABC 17 News. Mayor Pro-Tem Seth Truesdell will perform the duties of mayor until such vacancy is filled following local ordinance and state law.
Nicholas Hunter -- who owned Teddy, the dog that was shot – filed a lawsuit against the city and Woodson. Hunter’s attorney had previously told ABC 17 News that they are also seeking criminal charges.
Gina Adams Miller, who lives in Sturgeon, said she was a former police officer in Texas. She traveled to Hallsville on Monday with two other residents to voice her concerns about Woodson’s role in Hallsville while he was on leave in Sturgeon.
Miller claims to have seen Woodson driving in Sturgeon in a Hallsville police car since he was put on leave.
“What I would like to know is if he is on administrative leave there because of misconduct, and we all know what happened, how can he still be employed here?” Miller asked the Board during public comment.
Board members stated that they would not answer questions in regard to that situation. They held a closed session after the meeting, but a city official said the closed session had to do with another legal matter that was unrelated to Woodson.
Miller said she is worried for the people of Hallsville.
"I mean our town is scared of him right now. We're on end about our animals and just in general because he had harassed all of us… I mean he has no business there he should stay in Hallsville.”
