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Suspect Dies After Springfield Police Officers Detain Him

The Springfield Police Department is investigating after a suspect died while in police custody. 

According to SPS, on Monday afternoon, a Springfield Police Officer working off-duty for Walmart was told that two shoplifting suspects had fled a Walmart store at N. Glenstone and Kearney and were at a nearby Culver’s.  The officer requested back-up and went to the restaurant where he detained a female suspect.  The male suspect ran from the restaurant as the back-up officers arrived.  They pursued the man on foot, and one officer deployed his taser.  The suspect continued to run west, but officers apprehended him northwest of the Glenstone and Kearney intersection.  After they secured him, they noticed he had stopped breathing.  Officers administered CPR, and the suspect was taken to Mercy Hospital where he later died.

The female suspect was arrested for misdemeanor stealing and booked into the Greene County Jail. 

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Springfield Police Department at 864-1810 or make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 869-TIPS.

Michele Skalicky has worked at KSMU since the station occupied the old white house at National and Grand. She enjoys working on both the announcing side and in news and has been the recipient of statewide and national awards for news reporting. She likes to tell stories that make a difference. Michele enjoys outdoor activities, including hiking, camping and leisurely kayaking.