ST. LOUIS — A call for a domestic disturbance resulted in a St. Louis police officer shooting at a woman "almost simultaneously" as she shot and killed herself, a department spokesman said Thursday.
In a press briefing, Lt. Col. Michael Sack with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said the woman who shot and killed herself was waving a handgun when officers arrived. Sack said the medical examiner did not see any evidence of a second gunshot wound.
Sack said the incident started when they received a call from the woman who said she was distraught over an argument with her boyfriend. He said the woman was armed during the argument and the boyfriend was able to take the gun away and head for a car outside.
The boyfriend sat on the pistol and later told officers he wanted the woman to calm down, but the woman was able to grab his pistol from his waistband, according to Sack. He said the boyfriend then drove away, at which time the woman shot at the moving car.
When the woman fired another shot that struck a nearby home, a resident called police, which Sack said escalated the call from a disturbance call to a shots fired incident.
Sack said when officers arrived on the scene along with crisis response team members, the officer told the woman to put the gun down. When she quickly raised the gun, the officer fired one shot at her, which Sack said occurred "almost simultaneously" with the woman fatally shooting herself.
Sack said they were able to find the boyfriend, who is cooperating with the investigation.
Sack said they did not see any evidence of additional gunshot wounds, but they will continue to investigate.
Sack said the woman was in her 50s. No one else was injured.
The officer will undergo a physiological evaluation in accordance with department policy.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has a Domestic Abuse Response Team that has resources for people facing domestic partner violence. Click here for more information.