Suspect Surrenders in Van Buren
A suspect accused of shooting two law enforcement officers in Carter County has surrendered.
Troopers were assisting the Carter County Sheriff’s Office in serving an eviction notice to a male at a residence off of Highway M outside of Van Buren shortly before 10 am Friday when the shooting occurred.
A total of four officers were serving an eviction notice to James D. Cummings, 31, of Van Buren, Missouri when he reportedly shot at a deputy and a state trooper.
MSHP officials say a Carter County deputy identified as Brigg Pierson and a trooper identified as Caleb McCoy were both shot and wounded. McCoy was shot in the shoulder and his vest, while Pierson was shot in the leg, groin, and chest.
Another trooper was on scene right when the two officers were shot and he was able to drag the injured deputy from the porch to safety.
McCoy was taken to a local hospital and released Friday afternoon while Pierson was flown from the scene to a St. Louis area hospital for medical care. He was in stable condition and in the intensive care unit as of 4 pm Friday.
McCoy, a Greenville High School graduate, lives in Ellington.
Pierson is a reserve officer at the Mountain View Police Department and a volunteer fireman for Mountain View Fire Department, according to MVPD officials.
The supect, identified as 31-year-old James Cummings of Van Buren, exited the residence and surrendered to a Highway Patrol SWAT team around 5 pm Friday.
According to court documents, a judge ordered Cummings to leave the home on Monday, Aug. 12 and pay more than $4,500 in back rent. The court order authorized the sheriff’s office to forcefully remove Cummings if he refused to leave the property.
