Frustration, confusion grows as Sturgeon dog shooting investigation lingers
STURGEON, Mo. (KMIZ)
Frustration is mounting for some over the lack of progress in a criminal investigation into the Sturgeon police officer who shot and killed a blind-and-deaf dog.
Nicholas Hunter’s 13-pound Shih Tzu, Teddy, was killed by Officer Myron Woodson on May 19. The City of Sturgeon called for an administrative investigation on May 30 and placed Woodson on paid leave. Hunter filed a lawsuit against the city and Woodson.
Hunter’s attorney, Daniel Kolde, said in May that they were also seeking criminal charges, but charges have not been filed.
“Animal cruelty and neglect cases are historically, grossly under-prosecuted. They are not usually taken very seriously,” Kolde said. “These crimes need to be taken seriously. My concern right now since I haven’t heard from the prosecuting attorney is this is becoming one of those situations where there are rules for thee but not for me. Who guards the guardians? Who polices the police? I hope this is not going to become a cover-up.”
Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Roger Johnson told ABC 17 News earlier this week that he asked Boone County Animal Control to look into the matter after numerous calls and messages from the public. He added that if any referrals were made to his office to prosecute Woodson, he would have to request a special prosecutor.
Johnson asked Animal Control to get in touch with Kolde on May 31. Kolde claims that Boone County Animal Control Supervisor Kevin Meyers asked to interview Hunter. He agreed. However, days after the interview, he was informed that Boone County Animal Control would no longer be looking into the matter.
Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services spokesman Austin Krohn said in an email that Meyers reached out to Hunter, “before finding out it would be inappropriate for Animal Control to handle the animal abuse case.”
Animal Control considered it a conflict of interest to look into criminal charges because the agency has an agreement with the City of Sturgeon to receive stray animals and house them in Columbia after they go unclaimed, Krohn said. Documents obtained by ABC 17 News show that the agreement runs until Sept. 30.
According to Krohn, Meyers advised Hunter to go to a third-party resource to open an investigation, such as the Central Missouri Humane Society. An employee of the Central Missouri Humane Society on Thursday said they have not been contacted about any investigation. Kolde said he has not heard from the prosecutor's office after making several attempts to get in contact with them.
Kyle Green, of the Missouri Highway Patrol, said MSHP has not been asked by the Boone County prosecutor’s office to look into criminal charges. Green also said MSHP is not conducting Sturgeon’s internal investigation.
Capt. Brian Leer also told ABC 17 News in an email that the Sheriff's Office is not conducting an investigation into whether there should be any criminal charges, and that it would likely have to be conducted by someone other than the Sheriff’s Office “due to the ongoing working relationship we have with Sturgeon PD and the City of Sturgeon.”
Kolde believes an investigation would not take that long because all the third party would need to do is watch the bodycam footage. Kolde had previously said that this was “one of the clearest cases of felony animal cruelty he had seen.”
“If this were any other citizen, I would expect that the local law enforcement would have investigated, referred charges to the prosecuting attorney, and the prosecuting attorney would have brought the charges. I think if this were a regular citizen this would have already been done,” Kolde said.
The City of Sturgeon has not provided any updates on the progress of its internal investigation or who is conducting it. Mayor Pro Tem Seth Truesdell did not respond to questions about the status of the internal investigation.
However, Truesdell did respond to a request for comment over concerns that Woodson was still patrolling Sturgeon in a Hallsville police car, despite being on administrative leave. Woodson was a part of the large response at a Sturgeon mobile home park on June 4, Hallsville Police Chief Bryan Schultz said during Monday night’s Hallsville Board of Aldermen meeting.
“Like any employee on Administrative leave, Officer Woodson is not allowed on City property. I don’t know if Hallsville allows him to drive their police car home. If they do, he may go through Sturgeon on his way home,” Trusdell wrote in an email. “As to the active shooter/standoff, My understanding is that Officer Woodson was at Boone County Sheriff’s Department's command post set up at the Rec Center and was on duty with Hallsville at the time. We have no control over how or what Hallsville has him respond to as a Hallsville Police officer.”
