Police Standoff Continues in Hermann With Man Accused of Killing Officer

The Missouri Highway Patrol and local law enforcement are currently involved in a stand off with a suspect believed to have killed a police officer in Hermann last night.

The shooting happened at a Casey's General Store on Market Street in Hermann. A suspect opened fire on two police officers, killing one. The Missouri Highway Patrol identified the deceased as Detective Sergeant Mason Griffith.

The other officer has not been identified and the highway patrol says he is currently in serious but stable condition in a St. Louis hospital.

The highway patrol issued a Blue Alert in the wake of the shooting last night, identifying Kenneth Lee Simpson, 35, as the suspected shooter, saying that he fled the scene in a black Jeep.

KMOV subsequently reported Simpson barricaded himself in a house in Hermann in a neighborhood behind the Casey's where the shooting took place.

Various outlets live at the scene have reported the presence of SWAT teams and other law enforcement, who have increasingly asked media and onlookers to move away from the barricaded house.

The Gasconade County R-1 School District, which is located in Hermann, has cancelled classes out of an abundance of caution.

This morning, Governor Mike Parson tweeted about the incident, saying, "Hermann Police Department Detective Sergeant Mason Griffith will never be forgotten, and Missouri will always be grateful."

UPDATE: After 13 hours, the standoff came to an end when police deployed tear gas into the home to flush Simpson out. He was taken into custody at the scene.

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