Local businesses close following death of Hermann police sergeant
HERMANN, Mo. (KMIZ)
Local businesses in the Downtown Hermann area are closed following a shooting that lead to the death of one police officer, and severely injured another Sunday night at a Casey's gas station.
Those officers were identified Monday as Sgt. Mason Griffith and Officer Adam Sullentrup.
Griffith, 34, died from his injuries. He had served as the chief of police for the city of Rosebud, and he was also a part-time deputy for the Gasconade County Sheriff's Office. Last year, Griffith was recognized by Missouri's crisis intervention council, being celebrated for creating a crisis intervention team in Gasconade County.
Sullentrup is 31 years old, and serves as a police officer in Hermann. He remains in critical, but stable condition.
The man accused of shooting the officers, Kenneth Lee Simpson, 35, was arrested Monday following a standoff.
An ABC 17 News reporter observed nearly every local business in the downtown area close around 7 p.m. An employee from Save a Lot, a grocery store in the area, said while many businesses are typically closed on Mondays, almost every one closed in observance.
It is expected that the businesses will begin operating on a normal schedule Tuesday.
One local business in the area, Hermann Wurst Haus provided free meals to all emergency personnel Monday during its business hours.
The owner of the restaurant, Mike Sloan, said in a small town like Hermann, a death is felt among most community members. He said it's especially important for those in the community to support one another during this time.
"You may not know them personally, but you know them through just interactions," Sloan said. "As you meet them on the street, and so when something like this tragically happens, you just, your heart goes out for the families."
Sloan also noted that while it is just a small gesture given the circumstances, it was the least he felt he could do for the very tight-knit Hermann community, and law enforcement as a whole.
"We live here, we grew up here, our kids go to school here and Hermann’s a great place to live and work and so we’re just trying to help out and show our support for the blue officers,” he said.
The meals were served beginning around 10 a.m. and stopped around 4 p.m. when the restaurant closed.
The Gasconade County R-1 school district canceled Monday classes. The district posted on its social media that it would have additional counselors on campus Tuesday to assist students and staff.
Gov. Mike Parson also gave his condolences on social media.
Hermann Police Department Detective Sergeant Mason Griffith will never be forgotten, and Missouri will always be grateful.
— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) March 13, 2023
Teresa and I are praying for Mason’s family, friends, and fellow law enforcement officers. https://t.co/kLBBiMw1PT
Several area law enforcement agencies, including the Boone County Sheriff's Office and Callaway County Sheriff's Office, the Crawford County Sheriff's Office, Randolph County Sheriff's Office and Cooper County Sheriff's Office either shared messages of condolence or just an image with the Hermann Police logo with a black bar across it.
