A man from Missouri has been indicted and accused of shooting at three federal task force officers during a 2021 standoff.
Derek D. Brown, 49, of Jennings, appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to three counts of assault on a federal officer, three counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was originally indicted on Oct. 13, 2021.
The indictment says Brown fired at the officers on March 18, 2021.
A detention motion says the shooting followed a domestic dispute. Brown was armed with a machete and a hammer and had kicked down the door of his wife’s daughter’s house while trying to confront his wife, the motion says. The daughter, afraid for the safety of herself and her children, retrieved her .45 caliber pistol but Brown was able to wrestle it away, the motion says.
Brown left and went to his sister’s house, where he fired at officers, including federal task force officers, outside the house, through a screen door and then through the closed front door, the motion says. He eventually surrendered.
The assault charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The discharge of a firearm charges carries a penalty of at least 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other charges. The felon in possession charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
Charges outlined in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Brown has been held on state charges since the shooting.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce is prosecuting the case.
