A Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team member has returned home, after being wounded in a shootout May 28 at a Cedar Hill home, Sheriff Dave Marshak said.
Zach Faulkner of Festus was released from an area hospital at about 5:30 p.m. Monday (June 7), and the Sheriff’s Office and St. Louis Police SWAT team members escorted him home with a procession of police vehicles, Marshak said.
“For now, he is recovering at home, but we look forward to his return (to duty),” Marshak said.
Faulkner, who has been a deputy for six years, was wounded outside a home in the 8500 block of Lake Drive after authorities went there searching for a missing man and ended up in a shootout.
Anthony Legens, 36, of Cedar Hill was shot and killed during the hours-long incident after he allegedly started shooting at authorities.
The Sheriff’s Office SWAT team members and detectives went to the Cedar Hill house to serve a search warrant in connection with the missing persons case involving Jerry Crew, 36, of Cedar Hill, who was last seen April 21 at the home.
He was still missing as of Monday, and authorities suspect he may have been the victim of foul play, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
After the shootout, investigators found the dead body of Tanya Gould, 31, of Cedar Hill. Gould was not killed during the shootout, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
“Based on the decomposition of Tanya, we believe she was deceased for approximately one week,” Marshak said.
Gould died from a gunshot wound, and investigators believe Legens killed her, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators have seized phones they are using to try to find where Crew had been since he went missing.
Anyone with information about Crew’s location is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 636-797-5515.
“We believe there are people out there with critical information who have been afraid to share it,” Detective Lt. Nic Forler said. “We want those people to know it’s safe to come forward and speak with us. We need help to locate Jerry.”
Marshak said it could take months before the investigation is complete and Crew is found.
“Sometimes breaking into phones and computers takes a long time and going through the data is painstaking,” Marshak said. “Sometimes we may not have the ability to gain access and must contract out for specialty work. Despite the enormous resources spent on this particular case, other cases continue to come in for detectives. That same weekend (of the shootout), they started to work other deaths, child abuse and sex crimes. Investigations are prioritized daily, but the technology component can sometimes take the longest and that’s what we wait for. “
On May 28, Sheriff’s Office deputies were outside the home on Lake Drive investigating before announcing their presence between about 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., when Legens, who was a “target” in the missing person case, allegedly started shooting at authorities, spokesman Grant Bissell said.
At about 10:45 p.m., the deputy was shot. The injury occurred about an hour into the exchange of gunfire, the Sheriff’s Office reported in a written statement.
In an email, Marshak said Faulkner appeared to have been struck by a bullet that ricocheted off either the ground or the underside of an armored vehicle and then struck the deputy in his lower extremities below his tactical vest.
“Typically, I don’t monitor SWAT operations in progress but this one was different,” Marshak said. “Once the team started to take gunfire from different locations within the suspect’s house, they struggled to clearly identify the suspect responsible. I listened as the team leader shared that a deputy had been shot and was being tended to by one of the team paramedics. They were calm, calculated and disciplined in their response to a critical incident. Despite the injury to Deputy Faulkner, the team continued to handle the incident as professionals.”
The Sheriff’s Office reported that about 40 Sheriff’s Office SWAT team members, detectives and deputies were involved in the shootout with Legens, who had many previous encounters with law enforcement officials and had pleaded guilty to a variety of criminal offenses.
Members of the St. Louis County Police and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office also were on the scene.
Bissell said investigators used a St. Louis County Police robot to perform the initial search of the home following the shootout. The Sheriff’s Office reported that numerous firearms and drugs were found inside the house.
Faulkner underwent emergency surgery that concluded at about 5 a.m. May 29, Marshak previously reported.
The Sheriff’s Office said those wishing to donate to the wounded deputy’s family may send the donations to “Jeffco Deputy” at Fortune Bank, 3494 Jeffco Blvd., Arnold, 63010, Attn: Donna Litton and The BackStoppers Inc.
BackStoppers, a nonprofit organization that helps families of police officers, firefighters and other first responders who are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty, recently announced that it is donating $10,000 to Faulkner’s family.
One of Gould’s friends has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help cover the cost of a funeral and memorial service for Gould. On the page, the friend said Gould “was the most beautiful soul who lost her life at the hands of domestic abuse.” The friend also said, “Tanya was murdered by a man she had made several attempts to escape from.”
As of this morning (June 8), the GoFundMe page had brought in $4,960 in donations.