PINE LAWN, Mo. – One of the officers who worked with the North County Police Cooperative officer that was shot and killed in the line of duty knew him for 20 years.
Major Ron Martin worked with Michael Langsdorf in 2002 in the third district for the City of St. Louis police.
Langsdorf had been employed with North County Police Cooperative since April. He was shot and killed while responding to a call for a bad check at a Wellston market.
Bonette Kymbrelle Meeks, 26, is facing one count of first-degree murder, one count of armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm and one felony count of resisting arrest in the shooting death of officer Michael Langsdorf. Martin said Meeks grabbed a gun from his waistband during a struggle and he stood up, stood over him and pointed the gun to the back of his head and fired one shot. The bullet entered his left rear neck and traveled through his spinal cord. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Martin was choked up several times throughout the press conference while talking about his friend. At the beginning of the press conference he said, “If you would give me a minute.”
Watch the full press conference below
“Mike was a pretty big part of us even though he was here a short time, he had a lot of police experience – you would have never thought this type of police officer would have been put in that position, but it happened. There’s no such thing as a routine call, this is the dangers that our police officers in this community face every day. And I’m going to end it there by wishing the family my sincerest condolences and know we will be there for them every step of the way.”
Martin said he appreciates everyone’s gratitude during this difficult time.
“And you want to talk about a guy who just wanted to be the police, it was in his blood. He wanted to help people, he’d drop a dime and be there for anybody, anywhere. And I think he dropped that dime yesterday at 4:30, he lost his life over something so minuet and I think that’s a good story.”
Martin said there is not a bad word to say about Langsdorf.