This is a developing story and will be updated.
Updated 10:25 a.m.
The Missouri Highway Patrol has identified the Clinton Police Officer killed in the line of duty last night as 30-year-old Officer Christopher Ryan Morton.
Morton served as a full-time officer for the Clinton Police Department for two years beginning in 2015. Before that he was a specialist for the Army National Guard. He was deployed twice overseas, serving in Afghanistan as a bridge crew member and a radio communications manager.
Morton is the second officer killed in the small town in the last seven months. Clinton officer Gary Michael was killed during a traffic stop in August 2017.
“When I first heard about it, got that call, I didn’t believe it. The likelihood of that happening twice in such a short time span, is very tragic,” said Sgt. Collin Stosberg with the Missouri Highway Patrol.
Morton was reserve officer for much of 2017, but returned to full-time duty after Michael’s death.
Updated 2 a.m.
The Clinton, Missouri, Fire Department posted this message on Facebook: "Our hearts ache for our brothers in blue at the CPD. Our community has lost another public servant due to a police officer involved shooting. We are praying and ask that each of you pray for all involved and especially for the family of the officer who was killed in the line of duty this evening.
"We would also ask that everyone please respect the feelings and privacy of the family once the name of the officer is released. Full details will be released soon so please also refrain from making false accusations or speculating as to the events that happened. Thank you for your cooperation."
Updated 1:15 a.m.
In a press briefing, Sgt. Bill Lowe, of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, provided an update: "At approximately 9:20 this evening, the Clinton County 911 center received a 911 call from a residence. There were two women screaming in the background ... they (the call center) notified Clinton police department and they had officers respond to that residence."
When the three officers arrived, says Lowe, the suspect opened fire from inside the residence. "They (the officers) ended up going inside the residence in an attempt to apprehend the suspect. At that point in time, the suspect shot and killed one of the Clinton police officers and wounded two other officers," he says.
The suspect was still in the residence. According to Lowe, the Troop A SWAT team came up with a plan. "At approximately ten after midnight," he says, "the Troop A SWAT Team entered the residence and found the suspect deceased." It's unclear how the suspect died.
The names of the officers and the suspect have not yet been released. The two wounded officers, says Lowe, are being treated at area hospitals. According to KCTV5, one officer reportedly has moderate injuries and the other has minor injuries.
Updated 12:30 a.m.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the suspect was found dead inside the residence where three Clinton, Missouri, police officers were shot. A media briefing is scheduled for 1 a.m. in the parking lot on the north side of the Clinton Library.
Original post follows:
An active shooter situation remains in progress in Clinton, Missouri, about 75 miles southeast of Kansas City. Three police officers were shot Tuesday night around 10 p.m. while responding to a domestic disturbance call. The names of the officers and their conditions were not immediately released.
Shortly before midnight, the Missouri Highway Patrol reported that one officer had died, and two officers were being treated for injuries.
The shooter was reportedly barricaded inside the home. Henry County Sheriff Kent Oberkrom told KMBC 9 that seven blocks around the residence had been cordoned off. The Highway Patrol reported that Troop A SWAT, the Clinton Police Department, Henry County Sheriff's Department, and other agencies were on location.
Missouri Public Safety Chief of Operations Gregg Favre tweeted: "State and local resources are on this scene in Clinton, Missouri. This remains a serious, dynamic scene ... but important to remember this community lost Clinton PD Ofc Gary Michael in an on duty ambush last year."
Officer Gary Michael was killed during a traffic stop in August 2017. The Star reported that this was the first death in the line of duty for an officer in Clinton.
Laura Spencer is an arts reporter at KCUR 89.3. You can reach her on Twitter @lauraspencer.
