Man found dead after northeast Columbia standoff brings out SWAT team, armored vehicles
COLUMBIA, Mo, (KMIZ)
Police found a man dead inside an apartment in northeast Columbia after a standoff that lasted more than eight hours and included shots being fired at officers on Thursday.
Columbia Police Department spokeswoman Jenny Hopper said just after noon that the scene was clearing after CPD's SWAT team breached the apartment with a BearCat vehicle and found the man dead.
Police have not identified him.
The discovery was the culmination of a standoff between an armed man and CPD that began around 3:40 a.m.
Hopper said CPD initially responded to the 5000 block of Clark Lane, The Links apartment complex, for a report of shots fired around 3:40 a.m. Thursday. Hopper said the scene was active when police arrived, and CPD's armored BearCat vehicle took fire.
While Hopper couldn't confirm if the man was a resident of The Links, she could say he was armed and was inside an apartment by himself.
Along with SWAT, Hopper said CPD's crisis negotiation team and a Burrell Behavioral Health mental health liaison were also on the scene trying to stay in contact with the suspect.
Hopper said all of the CPD SWAT members who responded to Thursday's scene were off duty at the time, and came in after a message was sent out to respond.
"Our SWAT team that remained all came in on their time off," Hopper said. "I know that people wonder how we have so many officers out here, right? We have a lot of officers that are dedicated to keeping Columbia safe and they are willing to come in whenever they're not supposed to be here to help do so."
Along with CPD, the Missouri State Highway Patrol was also on scene. Hopper said Troops F and C also each provided a BearCat.
An ABC 17 News crew on scene Thursday morning saw about 15 to 16 CPD and Missouri State Highway Patrol vehicles, along with crime scene tape and drones being used. Multiple BearCat armored vehicles were also being used.
A MSHP bomb squad truck and SWAT team was at the scene, as well.
An MU Health Care ambulance and medical team were also on scene.
MSHP Sgt. Kyle Green said in an email that their SWAT team members also do road patrol, so while a few schedules had to be changed due to the SWAT team's response, no services to the community were impacted.
Hopper said all officers from both departments on scene are safe.
Crime scene tape was blocking the main entrance into The Links apartment complex during the standoff. Hopper said the crisis negotiation team was able to get a list of residents in the area to call and escort them out of their building while the standoff took place.
"We did everything we could to keep everybody who lived here safe," Hopper said.
An ABC 17 News crew on scene saw the command center tent come down shortly before noon Thursday, followed by the exit of the bomb squad truck, ambulance, SWAT and patrol vehicles. Crime scene tape came down shortly after noon.
Hopper said the apartments are now back open to residents. An investigation will continue into the apartment the man was inside.
This is the second standoff in Boone County in three days. On Tuesday, Damion Linder was found dead inside his trailer after an hours-long standoff with law enforcement. CPD, MSHP and the Boone County Sheriff's Office, as well as other law enforcement agencies, responded to that scene.
Boone County Sheriff's Office Capt. Brian Leer said two sheriff's department employees are on leave while an investigation is done into Linder's death.
MSHP is currently investigating Linder's death in Sturgeon at the request of the sheriff's department. Green said no MSHP employees are on leave from either of this week's standoffs.
Hopper said CPD is not able to comment on staffing matters related to these standoffs.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
