Investigation launched after Sunday officer-involved shooting in Butler County

OGLESVILLE — The Butler County Coroner’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol are conducting a joint investigation after an officer-involved shooting Sunday afternoon in Butler County.

The incident took place inside a home in the 3900 block of Highway N at Oglesville after a 911 call.

“The call came in at 2:52 p.m. as a 911 call for a sexual assault,” said Sheriff Mark Dobbs.

Dobbs said several deputies and EMS personnel responded to the scene.

“There were numerous people inside the residence that were highly intoxicated,” Dobbs said of the home.

“There were EMS workers inside at the time attending to those individuals, and there was one deputy inside and others outside at the time,” Dobbs explained. “They had been there for a while trying to muddle through the whole situation. That’s when the shots started.”

At the time of the initial shots, Dobbs said, the white male suspect, later identified as Chris Craft, was located in the living room, while EMS staff and a deputy were in other rooms.

When the deputy went to the living room to investigate the shots, Dobbs said, Craft “was cursing and ordering everyone out of his house, from what we understand.”

“He pointed the weapon at the deputy, as far as we can determine, and he refused to put the weapon down,” Dobbs said of the suspect.

The deputy then fired at the suspect, fatally wounding him.

“As far as what we can determine, the suspect shot twice and the deputy shot twice,” Dobbs said.

EMS crews worked to save Craft, Dobbs said, but could not.

Coroner Jim Akers responded to the scene, where he pronounced Craft dead.

Making the situation potentially worse, Dobbs noted, was there were several juveniles inside the home as well.

“That really changes the dynamics of things,” he said. “It’s a bad enough situation with the officer being in there and this happening, but being in there with a house full of people …”

After the shooting, the Missouri State Highway Patrol was called immediately to begin an independent investigation, Dobbs said, noting that’s standard procedure in such situations.

“We’re not releasing the officer’s name yet while the investigation is still ongoing,” Dobbs added.

That deputy, he said, has been put on administrative leave, also standard procedure.

Craft, whose age has not yet been determined, Akers said, will undergo an autopsy Tuesday morning by Dr. Russell Deidiker.

“It’s just an awful situation that, as tragic as it was, could have been far more tragic with that many people inside the house,” Dobbs said. “It’s a dangerous world we live in these days. It’s just a sad situation.”

No additional information about the incident, Dobbs said, will be released at this time.