31-year old man arrested after multi-county pursuit and shootout on I-70
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A man is in custody after authorities said he led law enforcement on a dangerous multi-county pursuit along Interstate 70 Saturday morning, fired shots at officers during the chase, and crashed in Boone County before fleeing on foot.
Authorities identified the driver as 31-year-old Clayton R. Wulf from Ellisville, Missouri. He is currently being held on Montgomery County charges including, 1st Degree Assault on a law enforcement officer, Armed Criminal Action, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Aggravated Fleeing, and Carless and Imprudent Driving.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began around 8:52 a.m. on Saturday, when Montgomery County Joint Communications received several reports of a black pickup truck driving recklessly westbound on I-70 in Montgomery County.
Callers told dispatchers the truck was speeding, swerving across multiple lanes, and forcing other drivers off the road, creating what authorities described as a serious danger to the public.
Around 8:56 a.m., a Montgomery County deputy located the vehicle near the 171.8 mile marker on westbound I-70 and observed several traffic violations matching witness reports. The deputy attempted a traffic stop and instructed the driver to exit the truck.
Investigators said Wulf refused to comply and sped away, leading deputies on a pursuit westbound on Interstate 70. A trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol later joined the chase.
During the pursuit near the 168 mile marker, authorities said Wulf leaned out of the driver’s side window with a handgun and fired about seven rounds toward pursuing officers.
No officers or civilians were hit.
Investigators say the pursuit continued into Callaway County, where the suspect allegedly drove recklessly by speeding more than 100 miles per hour, driving on the interstate shoulder, forcing motorists off the roadway, and brake-checking pursuing law enforcement vehicles in an apparent attempt to cause crashes.
Law enforcement officers attempted to deploy spike strips multiple times during the pursuit.
According to MCSO, during one deployment attempt, the suspect intentionally swerved toward a state trooper, forcing the trooper to move out of the way to avoid being hit. A second spike strip attempt in Boone County was also unsuccessful after the suspect allegedly swerved aggressively toward officers again.
The pursuit later entered Boone County, where investigators said the suspect exited I-70 near the 133 mile marker and drove north on outer roads.
Authorities said the suspect then drove through multiple roundabouts in the wrong direction, putting additional drivers at risk.
While driving through the roundabout near East St. Charles Road and Lake of the Woods Road, investigators say the suspect lost control, drove off the roadway, struck several large rocks in the center of the roundabout, and crashed north of the roadway.
After the crash, authorities say Wulf ran from the vehicle but was captured about 100 yards away without further incident.
A search of the truck allegedly uncovered several firearms and tactical equipment, including a loaded handgun, a 30-06 rifle, and an AR-style rifle.
Investigators also reported finding body armor resembling law enforcement protective gear, a large amount of ammunition, and what appeared to be a glass smoking device containing an unknown substance.
Authorities said Wulf was taken to University Hospital for medical evaluation following the crash before being transported to the Montgomery County Jail.
A heavy police presence was seen in east Columbia around 9:45 a.m. near the East Saint Charles Road/North Lake of the Woods Road roundabout.
Catherine Wallis and her 11-year-old daughter were on their way to a basketball tournament when they suddenly saw the pursuit unfold in front of them.
“I've never seen so many police officers chasing [somebody],” witness Catherine Wallis said. “One with a dog and they caught him very quickly. So it all happened very quick.”
An ABC 17 News reporter saw about a dozen law enforcement vehicles from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Boone County Sheriff's Office, Callaway County Sheriff's Office and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. A few K-9 units were also on scene.
A black Chevrolet truck was in the grass with its air bags deployed.
“A black truck came towards the roundabout, came flying through the roundabout, flew up in the air a pretty good height, landed and went up into somebody's yard," Wallis said.
She said the moment felt unreal.
“Afterwards she said, ‘I've only seen stuff like that on videos. I've never seen anything in real life,’” Wallis said about her daughter’s reaction. “And I said, ‘I'm 44 and I've never seen anything like that in real life.’”
A Boone Health ambulance arrived around 9:50 a.m., and a man was seen being put on a stretcher.
Despite the chaotic scene, Sgt. Green said no one was injured during the pursuit or arrest.
“But kudos to those police officers because they were fast, they were on top of it and they had it handled quickly,” Wallis said. “I mean, less than three minutes. It was fast.”
The scene was clear at around 11 a.m.
