By Phyllis Schaltenbrand
Richard Stone, 56 of 57 Mark Twain Mobile Home Park in O’Fallon was shot and killed by St. Charles Police Detectives Wednesday morning at his home.
Stone was wanted for questioning in the armed robbery of the On The Run Mobile Station on South Fifth Street and Interstate 70 in St. Charles at 8:36 pm on Tuesday evening.
A white, male subject, wearing a tan baseball hat, tan jacket and dark sunglasses entered the station at 1402 South Fifth Street, advised the attendant of the robbery and showed the attendant a handgun that was in his belt. The attendant handed over an undetermined amount of cash and the subject fled the store in a pickup truck.
Chief of Police Tim Swope told the First Capitol News, “We had an excellent witness and also a video tape of the hold-up and a description of the get-away vehicle. Our detectives developed information that Stone was the subject who committed the robbery. They went to his home in the Mark Twain Mobile Home Park on Wednesday at approximately 11:30 am. In the driveway of the suspect’s home the police observed a vehicle fitting the description of the one in which the hold-up man left the scene of the Mobile Station robbery. Two of the detectives went to the front door and two went to the rear of the trailer. they knocked and attempted to have the suspect open the front door. They could hear movement inside the trailer but they could not get anyone to come to the door. After a period of time the front door was suddenly opened and the suspect pointed a gun at the officers. One of the detectives who was in the rear came around to the front of the trailer and the officers in fear of their lives and the lives of their partners opened fire and the suspect was killed.”.
Chief Swope said, “It appears to be a justified shooting. All four of the detectives were placed on administrative leave with pay pending a complete investigation. This is the policy of this department and most other departments when an officer is involved in a shooting.”
The crime scene investigation was handled by the forensics unit of the St. Charles County Sheriff’s office. According to Chief Swope, “Independent investigations are being conducted by the O’Fallon Police Department and the St. Charles Police Department.”
A baseball hat with a red bill and a tan jacket similar to the one worn by the suspect during the hold-up along with a black and silver pellet gun was found by detectives in Stone’s home.
The names of the detectives were not released.
