A Moberly man has been charged in Shelby County for his role in the officer-involved shooting Wednesday night in Clarence, northeast Missouri.
According to the highway patrol news release, the Shelby County Prosecuting Attorney has charged 51-year-old Erik Prange, of Moberly, with four counts of felony assault of a special victim, which, in this case, is a law enforcement officer. Prange is also charged with four counts of armed criminal action. Prange is held in custody with no bond allowed.
The charges result from the Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control’s preliminary investigation of the shooting. Information filed with the associate circuit court in Shelby County indicates the defendant had a Ruger American bolt-action rifle when he exited a Dodge Ram pickup in Clarence and began firing. Law enforcement officers returned fire. The highway patrol on Wednesday night reported that both the suspect and a law enforcement officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries when they received gunshot wounds and received medical treatment at a hospital. A probable cause statement says the trooper, who was not identified, was said to have minor injuries when struck by bullet fragments from the round fired at a patrol vehicle.
The patrol had reported Prange fled from law enforcement officers in Illinois. Authorities in Missouri were alerted, and a pursuit began on westbound Highway 36, ending when spike strips were deployed.
