An officer-involved shooting in Springfield Wednesday is under investigation by the Springfield, MO Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division.
At around 1:45 Wednesday afternoon, February 1, Springfield Police officers were sent to a park on the city’s west side to check the well being of a man who was making suicidal statements.
According to the police department, when officers arrived, they approached the man, identified as 33-year-old Justin Barker of Springfield. The officers said, as they were talking with him, the man told them he had a gun and took it from his waistband. The officers said when they ordered him to drop the gun, he refused to do so and pointed the weapon at them. They fired their guns, striking the man several times, and he died at the scene.
The four officers involved in the shooting incident have been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. The results of a concurrent criminal investigation will be presented to the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
Detectives are asking anyone who has additional information to contact the Springfield Police Department at (417) 864-1810 or make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at (417) 869-TIPS.