A man died following a pursuit by law enforcement on Saturday, Nov. 8. According to a press release from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO), deputies from Greene County were called to assist the Christian County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) when a vehicle the CCSO was pursuing entered Greene County’s jurisdiction on Highway 65 at Evans Road. The CCSO said the vehicle, which was being driven by a wanted suspect, crashed, overturned, and began to catch fire.
The GCSO reported that as the driver was being ordered to exit the vehicle, a shot was heard, and the suspect died soon afterwards.
“While giving orders to the suspect driver, a single gunshot was heard from the overturned vehicle,” the GCSO reported in the press release. “The suspect driver failed to comply with orders, so Christian County and a (Missouri State Highway Patrol) Trooper extracted the driver; however, the driver succumbed to injuries.”
The deceased was later identified as Steven Shawn Trafford, 51, of Iowa. The press release stated that an autopsy was scheduled to determine the cause of his death.
According to the press release, the Sheriff’s Critical Incident Team, comprised of detectives from Christian, Greene, Lawrence, and Webster counties, was activated.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, the press release stated, and more information will be released as it becomes available.
