Law enforcement say the suspect in a morning stabbing took his own life Monday morning on a Poplar Bluff overpass, after firing shots at passing cars.
Jeffrey Carter, 28, of Poplar Bluff was pronounced dead at the scene before 11 a.m., according to information from law enforcement.
Butler County Coroner Jim Akers confirmed the death and said that Carter took his own life.
Butler County Sheriff’s Department began receiving 911 calls about the incident around 10 a.m., according to Sheriff Mark Dobbs.
According to witnesses, Carter was stopped on the inside lane of the northbound Highway 60 and Highway 67 overpass. Deputies were told Carter was armed with a handgun and had fired at passing vehicles.
“Bystanders, including one former police officer, were trying to keep him from jumping,” said Dobbs. “Prior to that, he had apparently shot at cars.”
No injuries were reported and Dobbs said his department has received no reports of vehicles being hit.
Dobbs said Carter turned the weapon on himself as soon as deputies arrived.
Poplar Bluff police say they were contacted earlier in the morning about a woman being stabbed in a home inside the city limits. The woman suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center for treatment, said police Chief Danny Whiteley.
Carter was considered a person of interest in the stabbing, according to law enforcement.
The incident occurred shortly before 10 a.m. in the 300 block of Roxie Road, police said. The victim was a 31-year-old female.
The suspect had fled the scene before officers arrived.
The Poplar Bluff Police Department and Butler County Sheriff’s Department are working in conjunction with one another involving the case.
The Poplar Bluff Police Department would like to thank the Butler County Sheriff’s Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Poplar Bluff Fire Department and Butler County EMS for their assistance with this investigation, according to a press release.