3 Poplar Bluff police officers placed on leave after deadly officer-involved shooting

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (KBSI) – Three Poplar Bluff police officers have been placed on administrative leave after an officer-involved shooting on Tuesday, February 7.

Officers of the Poplar Bluff Police Department were dispatched to the 700 block of North 11th Street around 8:09 a.m. regarding a male walking in the area with blood on him.

Officers found the male walking in the 700 block of North 12th Street. He was covered in blood and appeared to have a knife in his hand, according to the Poplar Bluff Police Department.

Officers contacted the subject, but police say he began inflicting bodily harm to himself with the suspected knife.

The man then charged at the officers, who fired their weapons, striking him, according to the police department.

The man was taken to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center by EMS where he was pronounced dead.

No officers were injured.

All three of the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has been requested to investigate the shooting. This investigation is ongoing.

A nearby neighbor Kirsten Ellis describes the scene, “So, this is where he died, in this area over here, if you follow me, this is where the blood got washed away. It’s still in this puddle right here, and if you look over there, actually by the trash cans, this is where the crime scene tapes were, it was all around this whole area.”