48-Year-Old Man Dies in Southwest Missouri Police Shooting

Police say that a man accused of crashing into several southwest Missouri building and hitting an officer with his car has died after the officer shot him.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that 48-year-old Destry Meikle died at a hospital after he was shot Tuesday morning in Republic.

Police said in a release that officers responding to a crash found that a single vehicle had collided with two different buildings before coming to rest in a garage.

The release says that an officer was knocked to the ground when Meikle tried to flee. The officer then fired his handgun because he believed the vehicle was going to strike him again.

The officer was treated for his injuries, and has been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.