Investigation of shooting continues

When contacted Tuesday morning for information about the officer-involved shooting in Nevada last Thursday night, Kent Casey, Missouri State Highway Patrol said there was no new information available. He explained that Patrol officers investigating the shooting are also involved in investigating a double homicide in Sarcoxie and he had heard no new information.

Casey said that because the investigation began at the request of another law enforcement agency, the Patrol would not release information to the public, but would give it to the requesting department and it would be up to them, or to the prosecuting attorney, to make the information public.

According to a press release offered by the Nevada Police Department on Friday, the shooting incident apparently started with an officer attempting to stop a vehicle, driven by Darren Wallace, on East Austin Boulevard at Barrett Street. Police said the vehicle left the city heading south on Barrett Street and a short time later was spotted in the north parking lot of the Super 8 Motel. The release states that two officers stopped the vehicle in the lot and both got out to confront Wallace and the vehicle started at the officers at a high rate of speed, going in between the two police vehicles in what officers said was an apparent attempt to strike one of the officers. The officer reportedly targeted by Wallace fired several shots at the vehicle. One shot struck and fatally wounded Wallace.