Jerry Crew
Following a May 28 shootout at a Cedar Hill-area home that left one man dead and a deputy wounded, authorities continued to search for a missing Cedar Hill man, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced today (June 1).
In a post on its Facebook page, the Sheriff’s Office said detectives have been trying to find Jerry Crew, 36, who was last seen April 21 at his home in the 8500 block of Lake Drive south of Cedar Hill.
The Sheriff’s Office reported that investigators suspect Crew may have been the victim of foul play, and anyone with information about Crew should call the detective bureau at 636-797-5515.
Members of the Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, detectives and deputies went to the home on Lake Drive the night of May 28 to serve a search warrant in hopes of locating Crew.
Instead, Anthony Legens, 36, of Cedar Hill started a shootout with the law enforcement officers, authorities reported.
Legens was killed, and a member of the SWAT team was shot. Investigators also discovered the body of a dead woman in the home, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Sheriff Dave Marshak said the woman was dead prior to Legens and deputies exchanging gunfire.
The Sheriff’s Office is awaiting a report from the Medical Examiner’s Office before identifying the woman found in the home, the department said in its Facebook post.
The member of the SWAT team who was shot, has not been identified, but Marshak said the deputy has been with the Sheriff’s Office for the past six years.
The wounded deputy underwent surgery that concluded at about 5 a.m. May 29.
Today, Marshak wrote the deputy “continues to receive excellent care at an area hospital. There are some concerns related to his injuries, but he is stable and listed in serious condition. We ask that you please keep the family in your prayers.”
The Sheriff’s Office said those wishing to donate to the family of the wounded deputy may send donation to “Jeffco Deputy” at Fortune Bank, 3494 Jeffco Blvd, Arnold, attention Donna Litton and The BackStoppers Inc.
Legens was a “target” in at least one recent missing person case, and authorities found him at the home where they went to serve a search warrant in connection with the search for Crew, Marshak said.
He said law enforcement officers were at the home on Lake Drive on May 28 gathering information before Legens was aware of their presence.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Grant Bissell said the authorities announced they were outside the home between about 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and Legens allegedly started shooting at them.
At about 10:45 p.m., the deputy was shot. The injury occurred about an hour into the exchange of gunfire, and the situation continued until the suspect was shot and killed, the Sheriff’s Office said in a written statement.
Bissell said Legens died just before midnight.
“The suspect was actively trying to kill police officers this evening,” Marshak said in a Facebook video. “He even shot at our armored vehicles.”
The deputy was struck in his lower extremities below his tactical vest.
“He is a SWAT officer, well trained,” Marshak said the video. “He is a great officer. If anyone can pull through, I think he is going to be fine.”
The department reported that about 40 Sheriff’s Office SWAT team members, detectives and deputies were involved in the shootout. 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.
Legens had man previous encounters with law enforcement officials and had pleaded guilty to a variety of offenses, including assault, felonious restraint, burglary, stealing, assaulting law enforcement officers, domestic assault, driving while intoxicated, possession of an illegal weapon and felony and misdemeanor drug charges, court records show.