Three Joplin Officers, Suspect Wounded In Shooting

Three Joplin police officers and a suspect were wounded Tuesday in a shooting in the southwest Missouri city, police said.

Assistant Police Chief Brian Lewis said the officers responded to a disturbance near Rangeline Road and 4th Street around 1:20 p.m. in Joplin. Lewis said they encountered a suspect and shots were exchanged, injuring two officers, Joplin-area media reported.

The suspect fled, police said, and officers chased him. Shots were exchanged again at Connecticut and 9th Street. This time, one officer and the suspect were struck.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is assisting with the investigation, Lewis said.

The suspect and one officer have since died from their injuries.  Lewis said two other officers injured in the Tuesday afternoon shooting remain hospitalized, one in critical condition and the other in serious but stable condition.