In the pre-dawn hours of Saturday, September 24, 2022, a traffic stop attempt near the Highway 65 and Highway 14 interchange in Missouri escalated into a fatal officer-involved shooting. An Ozark officer first tried to stop a vehicle around 3:00 a.m. on suspicion the driver was impaired; the car fled. About half an hour later a Christian County deputy located the same vehicle near Highlandville, attempted a stop, and a pursuit involving Christian County, Nixa and Ozark officers ended near the Highway 65 and CC interchange by Fremont Hills.

Authorities say neither 37-year-old driver Timothy W. Shafer nor his 23-year-old passenger Donna M. Bailey complied with officers’ commands. Shafer allegedly brandished a firearm, and multiple officers from the three agencies fired on the vehicle. Both Shafer and Bailey were struck and later pronounced dead at the scene. Shafer reportedly had a criminal history dating to 2009 and outstanding warrants for drug and felony stealing charges.

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office was assigned the investigation through the regional Sheriff’s Critical Incident Team; five officers involved were placed on paid leave pending that inquiry. Few details beyond the shooting incident and the administrative steps have been released. Does anyone have verified information about the timeline or witnesses to the pursuit and final stop?