Suspect caught in shooting that left 1 Missouri officer dead, 1 hurt

HERMANN, Mo. — The search for the man suspected of killing one small-town Missouri police officer and badly injuring another ended Monday after police fired tear gas into the home, and arrested the man when he came outside.

The shooting happened about 9:30 p.m. Sunday at a convenience store in Hermann, a town of 2,100 residents about 80 miles west of St. Louis. Detective Sgt. Mason Griffith of the Hermann Police Department died, and officer Adam Sullentrup, 31, was hospitalized in stable condition, authorities said.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the shooting happened after the officers went into the convenience store to arrest 35-year-old Kenneth Lee Simpson of St. Louis County on multiple outstanding warrants. Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Mitchell said the officers were shot in an altercation inside the store. Authorities wouldn't say whether either officer returned fire.

A robot removes the storm door of a home Monday as tactical units from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and St. Charles County police wait outside to search for a man accused of shooting two Hermann police officers Sunday night in Hermann, Missouri.Robert Cohen ~ St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP

A robot removes the storm door of a home Monday as tactical units from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and St. Charles County police wait outside to search for a man accused of shooting two Hermann police officers Sunday night in Hermann, Missouri.Robert Cohen ~ St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP

Simpson left the store, and authorities weren't initially sure where he went. By early Monday, police surrounded a home along Highway 19 not far from the shooting site. TV video at midday showed a police robot being used to pull off the front screen door, then a drone was sent in.

The patrol confirmed Monday afternoon that Simpson was taken into custody after a police tactical team fired tear gas into a house, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Robert Koerber, who was Hermann's mayor when Griffith was hired seven years ago, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Griffith was a natural as a police officer, someone people trusted.

A tactical unit from the Missouri State Highway Patrol moves to enter a home where a man was believed to be hiding Modnay in Hermann, Missouri. The tactical officers moved debris from the front door and retreated.Robert Cohen ~ St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP

A tactical unit from the Missouri State Highway Patrol moves to enter a home where a man was believed to be hiding Modnay in Hermann, Missouri. The tactical officers moved debris from the front door and retreated.Robert Cohen ~ St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP

"He was one of my favorite officers because he had such an easy and effective style," Koerber said. "He seemed to take a personal interest in people. He was interested in whatever your problem was."

Online Missouri court records show Simpson has a long history of criminal charges involving drugs, weapons offenses, assault and property damage. A St. Louis County judge issued a warrant for Simpson's arrest in August when he failed to show up in court in a drug possession case.

Hermann, a town known for its annual German festivals, is the county seat of Gasconade County. The local school district canceled classes Monday as a precaution.