Justin D. Quick, 32, of Union died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Feb. 5, after leading police on a nearly 10-mile chase on I-44 that started in Franklin County and ended with a standoff near the exit for Six Flags in Eureka, authorities said.
Franklin County Sheriff Steve Pelton said the chase began before noon that day when a deputy spotted an SUV at the Red Barn Mobile Home Park near Villa Ridge. The SUV was linked to a burglary earlier in the day in the 5300 block of North Goodes Mill Road in Washington. The victim told deputies someone had forced open a door to enter a detached garage and the home, Pelton said in a written statement.
When the deputy approached the SUV in the mobile home community, Quick reportedly got into the SUV and drove away. The deputy attempted to stop the fleeing vehicle, but Quick allegedly did not pull over and got onto I-44, traveling east at a high rate of speed, the report said.
Pacific Police officers put down spike strips and other tire deflation devices on the interstate, which slowed the fleeing SUV. Then, a Franklin County deputy pulled up beside the SUV to identify the driver, Pelton said.
Quick allegedly pointed a gun at the deputy, who slowed down and got behind the SUV and then used the patrol car to disable the fleeing vehicle. When the SUV stopped on the interstate, a woman got out of the vehicle, and police made contact with Quick, who reportedly refused to get out of the SUV and pointed the gun at himself, Pelton said.
“Negotiations began for a period of time before the suspect was transported to the hospital by EMS for injuries sustained from the self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the sheriff said.
Pelton has not identified the woman in the vehicle with Quick.
The Missouri Department of Transportation said the incident was first reported at about 11:45 a.m. All the interstate’s lanes were closed for several hours at one point before I-44 was completely reopened at about 4 p.m., MoDOT said.