Man killed by Columbia police was charged with first-degree murder in Randolph County
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A man who was killed by Columbia police in an officer-involved shooting on Saturday night was charged with murder in Randolph County.
Timothy Turner, 37, of Columbia, was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Court filings say the charges occurred on Saturday and a warrant was issued on Monday. Moberly police stated this weekend that Turner was the suspect in a homicide investigation.
Randolph County Prosecutor Stephanie Prosecutor Stephanie Luntsford wrote in an email that the charges are in the process of being dropped, following his death. The motion to dismiss has not been processed.
Moberly police had responded to a call on Saturday morning 500 block of North Moulton Street and found a man dead in the bedroom of the home with gunshot wounds, according to the probable cause statement. Police stated on Monday that Donald Gene Hickem, 37, was the victim in the shooting.
A phone registered to Turner was found at the Moberly residence, court documents say. A witness who knew Turner allegedly told police that Turner entered an alley near the home and another person had told him to drop his gun, court documents say.
The witness walked down the alley and heard four-to-five shots, the statement says. The witness went inside a home and came back out to see Turner in a vehicle while pointing a gun at the witness, the statement says.
The statement says Turner had not been at the residence for a month and should not have possessions there. The statement claims that Hickem had sold drugs, which he had bought from Turner. Hickem allegedly owed Turner money, court documents say.
The witness claimed that they heard Hickem tell someone else about three days before the shooting that he thought Turner was going to kill him, the statement says.
The Columbia Police Department assisted MPD in the case and tried to arrest Turner in the 1500 block of Raleigh Drive, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol release.
Turner allegedly had a knife while getting out of a residence at 10 p.m. Saturday. Officers told him to drop the knife, but Turner allegedly refused, MSHP wrote. SWAT members used "less lethal devices" and a K-9 before shooting Turner, the release says. Turner was pronounced dead at the scene.
MSHP’s Division of Drug and Crime Control is investigating the police shooting. CPD Chief Jill Schlude said on Monday night that four officers were put on leave.
