ROLLA, Mo. — A man was charged Thursday after police said he shot a pharmacy employee in Rolla before leading police on a pursuit through the city.
Rolla Police Chief Sean Fagan said 41-year-old Justin Wonsewitz was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault, armed criminal action and first-degree robbery. He was formally charged Thursday with first-degree robbery, first-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action.
The incident began at about 10 a.m. at Sinks Pharmacy on E. 10th Street. Employees said the man walked inside the pharmacy, went behind the front counter and demanded drugs.
Nine employees and several customers were inside the pharmacy at the time.
“He wanted some kind of oxycontin. I think that’s what he asked for. He also wanted suboxone and gabapentin," Fagan said. "When the employees didn’t give the drugs to him fast enough, he opened fire."
The man then pulled out an AR-15 rifle and fired multiple shots, Fagan said, striking a 53-year-old pharmacy technician in the leg. She was taken to a hospital for treatment, but her injury was not considered life-threatening.
The man then ran away with an undisclosed amount of narcotics.
Another employee followed him and saw him get into a blue Chevrolet sedan that was parked about a block away. The employee gave police a description, and officers began a pursuit after spotting the car speeding east on E. 10th Street.
About five miles outside of Rolla, the car turned around, sped across a yard and began heading back toward the city.
Fagan said the man fired the gun into the air during the pursuit, which came to an end when he was surrounded by several officers from Rolla, the Phelps County Sheriff's Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Cell phone video taken by a bystander showed at least eight marked and unmarked law enforcement vehicles on a road during the pursuit. Officers pointed their weapons toward something off-camera before the video ended.
The man was taken into custody and officers seized a rifle and a "full round" of ammunition, Fagan said.
“We all got involved in the pursuit. When we arrested him, he admitted to it and said, ‘It was justified,'” Fagan said.
The man was being held at the Phelps County Jail.
“The members of Sinks Pharmacy staff provided valuable information in a timely matter while facing one of the worst days of their lives," Fagan said in a news release. "Because of their timely and accurate information and the efforts of our local law enforcement team, we were able to successfully apprehend a dangerous individual.”
Amy Mitchell, the president of Sinks Pharmacy, said the injured pharmacy technician was released from the hospital and recovering at home.
“I was saddened to hear that we had the incident happen here," Mitchell said. "We’re fortunate our employee is safe. Our top priority is the safety of our staff.”
“With the rounds that he fired and how many employees were in that store, it’s just a miracle that nobody else was hurt. Thank God,” Fagan said.
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