A Diamond man is dead after he allegedly fired a weapon at officers when they tried to stop him when someone reported that he was driving while intoxicated.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Spokesman Sgt. John Lueckenhoff said Brad Stirewalt, 47, Diamond, was pronounced dead in a parking lot near the roundabout at Airport Drive and Grand Street in south Carthage shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020.
Lueckenhoff said Stirewalt exited his vehicle in the parking lot after two Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers and a Jasper County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped him on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Lueckenhoff said in a written release the man fired a weapon at the officers and “fearing for their safety, the officers returned fire striking the suspect.”
Lueckenhoff said the troopers were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Patrol’s Drug and Crime Control Division with the assistance of the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.
Jasper County Sheriff’s Spokesman Tim Williams said the deputy was also on paid leave as required by the department’s policy.
Lueckenhoff said officers received a report from the public about an intoxicated driver and a Newton County deputy started following the suspect vehicle in the area of Missouri Highway 59 and County Route FF south of Carthage.
Lueckenhoff said the deputy followed the suspect vehicle into Carthage where a Jasper County Deputy and two troopers stopped the vehicle in the parking lot in south Carthage.
Carthage Police Spokesman Chad Dininger said Carthage officers responded to the call but the incident was over by the time they arrived and they helped control the scene for investigators.
Lueckenhoff said Monday afternoon that he didn’t have any details as to when an autopsy would be completed on the suspect.
