Crime
Highway patrol says it’s unclear if Missouri woman shot and killed by deputy had a gun
Update: Hannah Fizer’s family said Sunday the 25-year-old was on her way to work and wasn’t known to carry a gun. That story is posted here.
State law enforcement officials said it’s not immediately clear whether a woman shot and killed by a Pettis County sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop Saturday night had a gun.
Missouri Highway Patrol spokesman Andy Bell on Sunday identified the woman as Hannah R. Fizer, 25, of Sedalia.
The deputy shot Fizer after pulling her over about 10 p.m. Saturday near U.S. 50 and Winchester Drive in Sedalia, according to the highway patrol. Bell said the patrol is investigating the shooting at the request of the Pettis County Sheriff.
In an initial statement, Bell said the woman was “not compliant” during the traffic stop.
She “refused to identify herself, stated she was armed & verbally threatened to shoot the deputy,” highway patrol tweeted.
The situation escalated and the deputy shot the woman, Bell said. She died a short time later. The deputy was not injured.
Bell said he doesn’t yet know whether the woman had a weapon. The evidence from the scene has been transported to a secure location. Then investigators will apply for a search warrant.
Bell directed questions about why the traffic stop was initiated to the Pettis County Sheriff’s office. The sheriff could not immediately be reached Sunday morning.
Fizer was the only person in the car at the time of the shooting, Bell said. He didn’t yet have details on how the situation escalated. Investigators are currently canvassing the area for witnesses and any surveillance footage of the shooting, Bell said. An official statement had not yet been obtained from the deputy involved in the shooting as of Sunday morning.
The highway patrol is also investigating a fatal shooting from earlier Saturday in Kansas City after a police officer shot and killed a carjacking suspect Saturday afternoon at 23rd Street and Lister Avenue. Police said the man was armed.
Gun violence will be the subject of a new, statewide journalism project The Star is undertaking in Missouri this year in partnership with the national service program Report for America. As part of this project, The Star will seek the community’s help.
To contribute, visit Report for America online at reportforamerica.org.
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