Texas man killed in confrontation with Callaway County officers, identified

CALLAWAY COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

State troopers have identified a man who was shot early Monday in a collision that left two Callaway County deputies injured and one requiring emergency surgery.

The Callaway County Sheriff’s Office said Monday morning that two of its deputies were shot on westbound I-70 Monday morning. The Missouri State Highway Patrol later identified the suspect killed by gunfire as Jonathan A. Beason, 37, of Medina, Texas.

One officer was in serious condition and underwent emergency surgery Monday morning, while the other was stable and was scheduled to undergo surgery Monday afternoon, the sheriff’s office said.

In a news release, the sheriff’s office said a deputy stopped Beason at mile marker 139 at 3:35 a.m. and a second deputy arrived shortly thereafter.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says in a news release that Beason was fatally shot after an exchange of gunfire with officers.

Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Crystal Kent said Beason had multiple out-of-state warrants for his arrest.

“As officers attempted to take the driver into custody, Callaway County Joint Communications was notified that the driver was resisting arrest,” Kent said. “A few moments later, officers reported shots were fired. Both officers sustained gunshot wounds in the incident.”

Both officers were taken to a nearby hospital and are stable.

According to the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the MSHP, investigators recovered a weapon at the scene.

The Boone and Callaway County sheriffs were all on scene, along with Fulton and Columbia police, to assist after the shooting.

I-70 westbound in Callaway County was closed during the investigation. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported at 5:06 a.m. on “X” that the eastbound lanes of I-70 had reopened while westbound traffic was being detoured at the 144 mile marker.

The MSHP Drug and Crime Control Division took over the investigation. According to their press release, once the investigation is complete, the reports will be forwarded to the Callaway County Prosecutor for review.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol posted on “X.” at 4:26 a.m. that troopers were responding to a police incident on I-70 westbound at the 139 mile marker.

ABC 17 News crews arrived on scene at 4:15 a.m. and saw Boone County and Callaway County sheriff’s deputy vehicles and a Bearcat armored vehicle.

Check back for updates as the story is still developing.