ST. LOUIS _ A man with an "extensive" and "violent" criminal history in North Carolina was charged Monday in the shooting death of Officer Michael Langsdorf, who was shot Sunday in Wellston, Mo., as he responded to a call about a bad check at a business.
Bonette Kymbrelle Meeks, 26, was charged in the death of Langsdorf, who was an officer with the North County Police Cooperative. He is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a weapon and passing a bad check.
Langsdorf responded to Clay's Wellston Food Market Restaurant on Page Avenue about 4:30 p.m. to investigate a complaint about a bad check, when he encountered Meeks. About 5 minutes later, police received a call about an officer down.
Langsdorf was shot once in the back of the neck and the bullet traveled through his spinal cord and out through his chest, police said Monday. He was pronounced dead at 5:15 p.m.
Police said Monday that Meeks ran out of the store after the shooting holding the gun he used to allegedly murder Langsdorf and was caught on Page Avenue by police.
The confrontation that led to the shooting was largely caught on a surveillance camera inside the market. According to a source familiar with the investigation, the confrontation lasted 1 minute, 16 seconds, and shows Langsdorf holding the suspect by the arm as he walks into the store.
The suspect appears to try to leave, and Langsdorf throws him to the ground according to the source. A gun can be seen in the suspect's waistband. The two struggle on the ground behind the store counter for about 30 seconds, and then the suspect jumps up and points a gun at Langsdorf. The officer, on his hands and knees, the source reports, appears to lunge at the suspect, who fires at close range.
An employee of the store streamed a video of part of the aftermath of the shooting.
Law enforcement officials released the suspect's name Monday morning during a news conference at Beyond Housing, 6506 Wright Way, a community development organization in Pine Lawn.
(Christine Byers of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this story.)
