A man reportedly wielding a hatchet and threatening others was arrested the afternoon of Dec. 25 in Crystal City.
According to court records, Andrew H. Underwood, 64, of De Soto has been charged with first-degree assault-special victim (a police officer), a class A felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison; armed criminal action, an unclassified felony punishable by a minimum sentence of three years in prison; and resisting arrest, a class E felony punishable by up to four years in prison. He was being held as of Tuesday in the Jefferson County Jail with no bond.
Crystal City Police Capt. Mike Pruneau reported that his department was called at about 4 p.m. due to a man wielding a hatchet and threatening people near the Harbor Freight store in Twin City Mall. Shortly after, Festus Police received a call about the man walking south on Truman Boulevard (Hwy. 61-67) south of the Mobil on the Run, 620 S. Truman Blvd., still wielding the hatchet.
“The Crystal City officer who responded to the original call went over and found him near the Arby’s (690 S. Truman Blvd.),” Pruneau said. “The officer got out of his vehicle, and the guy became irate and was yelling and screaming at the officer and was swinging the hatchet while approaching the officer. When the officer pulled his handgun, the man ran away from the officer.
“The officer holstered his gun and grabbed his Taser and ran after the man. He ended up tasing the guy. At this point, officers from the Festus Police and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office arrived and assisted the officer. They were able to get the man under control, arrest him and take him to the Jefferson County Jail.”
He said the man was found to be in possession of a controlled substance.
He said no one sustained injuries during the incident.
In court records, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Underwood “as a prior and persistent offender” who was on parole for prior felonies, including a term of probation out of New Madrid County that started “just two days before this offense.”