Two suspects wounded as chase ends in gun battle

Police report bystander shot during car theft

Two men are in custody after they allegedly shot a bystander near Millersburg, stole a vehicle and led police on a 150-mile car chase to Hickory County, where it ended in a gun battle with police that left the two suspects wounded.

Shortly after 1 p.m. Thusday, Missouri Highway Patrol officers were called to an accident at the 137-mile marker on I-70.

Minutes later, the Callaway County Sheriff's Department reported a subject suffered a shotgun wound at RC Auto Body in Millersburg, near the accident scene.

Troop F spokesman Cpl. Scott White confirmed a victim was shot at the body shop, and two men from the accident scene stole a vehicle from the shop.

After the patrol issued an alert on the incident, a Miller County trooper spotted the stolen vehicle at 2:30 p.m. on U.S. 54 near Route W in Lake Ozark. When he tried to pull the suspect vehicle over, the driver fled.

As the suspects drove through Osage Beach, a police officer deployed a tire deflation device, and the vehicle hit the spikes.

"It briefly came to a stop at Route Y and U.S. 54 in Linn Creek," White said, "however, the pursuit began again."

Approaching Camdenton, law enforcement officers followed the stolen vehicle at a distance. The chase headed westbound through Camdenton on U.S. 54 and entered Hickory County at about 3 p.m.

According to White, the suspects began shooting at the law enforcement officers who returned fire. Both suspects suffered gunshot wounds. No police officers were injured during the gunfire exchange.

Both suspects were in custody by 3:13 p.m.

"The investigation is ongoing and we are determining how they suffered the gunshots and when - in Callaway County or during the car chase," White said.

One suspect was taken to Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach for treatment, while the other was taken to Mercy Hospital in Springfield.

The Missouri Department of Transportation reported the section of U.S. 54 from Missouri 73 in Camden County to U.S. 65 in Hickory County was closed for about 8-10 hours Thursday. White said the roadway was closed while law enforcement investigated the incident and considered the middle of the highway a "crime scene."