ST. LOUIS — An off-duty officer was shot while exchanging gunfire with a man who confronted him near a bar in south St. Louis, police said.
Around 1 a.m. Friday, a group of four off-duty St. Louis police officers were dining at the Bomber O'Brien's Bar and Grill on the 4600 block of Beck Avenue in the Tower Grove South neighborhood. While there, a man confronted one of the off-duty officers; the two exchanged words.
The confrontation moved outside to the parking lot of the bar, where the man fired at the off-duty officer, striking him in the wrist and the shoulder. One of the other off-duty officers returned fire and struck the man in the lower extremities and his shoulder.
The two men were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. During a press conference, St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden confirmed the off-duty officer was stabilized but did not provide further detail. The suspect was also stabilized upon admittance.
The suspect's gun was recovered from the scene following the shooting. The gun used by the off-duty officer to fire at the suspect was department-issued.
Chief Hayden said the off-duty officer struck by the suspect is 32-years-old and a 10-year veteran in the department. The officer who fired at the suspect is 25-years-old, on the job for one year.
The suspect is a 22-year-old.
Chief Hayden added that all four officers present at the time of the shooting were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. The St. Louis Police Department Force Investigative Unit is handling the case.
Frank DeManuele said it was his son Sean DeManuele who was shot. Frank was at the scene after he was told he was shot. Frank said wasn’t able to see Sean in hospital because he was in police custody.
"It's just heartbreaking man to not know what's going on with your son,” he said. "You just don't know what went on, how serious is he shot."
Frank said his son Sean just turned 22 and was celebrating his birthday.
"He's a good kid. He works every day. He hasn't really been in no problems,” he said.
According to Frank, Sean got into an altercation with an off-duty officer at the same bar last week.
"off duty officer wanted to fight with him when he found it was an off-duty officer he told them they didn't want any problems,” he said.
It's unclear if the two incidents are connected or if they involved the same off duty officer.
Frank is still trying to fathom how his son was involved.
"it's surprised me anything like this happened with him,” he said.
