In a dramatic early morning incident at St. Louis' busiest airport, police officers shot and killed a man who was wielding a knife outside terminal doors. The shooting occurred around 1 a.m. on Friday, according to official statements from law enforcement authorities.
Confrontation Outside Security Checkpoint
The incident took place in an area near the light rail line that transports travelers to Terminal 1, not behind security checkpoints, as confirmed by airport maps. St. Louis County Police spokesperson Vera Clay provided details of the confrontation that led to the fatal shooting.
Officers initially noticed the man in a restricted area where he shouldn't have been present. When police approached him and asked him to leave, the man refused to comply with their instructions, escalating the situation.
Escalation and Use of Force
The situation turned dangerous when the man displayed a knife to the officers. Police first attempted to subdue him using Tasers, but the non-lethal method proved ineffective. The man continued advancing toward officers despite the taser deployment, prompting one officer to fire their service weapon.
The shooting resulted in fatal injuries to the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities confirmed that no other individuals were injured during the incident, including airport passengers and staff.
Aftermath and Investigation
Airport operations were partially affected by the shooting. The light rail service to Terminal 1 was closed for approximately three hours while police conducted their investigation. During this period, shuttle services transported passengers from alternative drop-off points.
Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, the airport director, confirmed that the airport remained open throughout the incident. Regular operations resumed later Friday morning after police completed their initial investigation at the scene.
Police revealed that the two officers involved were members of the airport's police department with a combined 14 years of law enforcement experience. The suspect was believed to be unhoused, and authorities had not positively identified him at the time of initial reports.
"We don't believe this was an individual trying to catch an airplane or coming into town," Clay stated, indicating the man likely had no travel plans involving the airport.
