AFFTON, Mo. — The man killed in an overnight officer-involved shooting in Affton was a former Ballwin police officer, the Ballwin Police Department said Sunday.
Police identified Clifton Knickmeyer as the man shot and killed by a St. Louis County police officer after police said Knickmeyer pointed a gun at an officer. The Ballwin Police Department said Knickmeyer's tenure with the Ballwin police department ended more than 10 years ago and has not been involved in the organization since.
The incident began around 1:15 a.m. Sunday, when police were called to a domestic disturbance at home in the 8700 block of Zellwood.
A 58-year-old woman who was in the house said the dispute started as an argument with her boyfriend, 59-year-old Clifton Knickmeyer. She called police when it escalated to a physical altercation. When officers arrived they removed the woman and her 26-year-old son from the home.
Police entered the house and found Knickmeyer in a bedroom.
St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said officers ordered Knickmeyer to show them his hands, but he reached under the covers on the bed, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at an officer. The officer fired several times and hit Knickmeyer, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The officer who shot Knickmeyer is a four-year veteran of the force.
