During the time the officers had scrambled to the back of the residence due to their being a possible active shooter another male had made his way around the house and jumped into Ofc Drew Conn's assigned patrol car activated the emergency equipment and fled the scene in the stolen cruiser. The suspect wrecked the cruiser approximately 1 mile from the scene when he lost control of vehicle at a high speed in a curve on Bomar Heights and struck a utility pole at the intersection of Allen street and fled on foot.
As a result 5 additional officers were called out to assist the two officers already on scene in dispersing the party and searching for the suspect.
At 02:47 am officers investigations led them to Heartland Circle just outside the limits of Columbia to a possible location of a suspect in the theft of the police cruiser. At 03:42 am CPD Officers took 20 year old Lova Johnson into custody on charges of : Theft by Unlawful Taking Auto over 10,000 dollars, Criminal Mischief 1st Degree, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Theft of a Firearm and Wanton Endangerment.1st Degree. Additional charges will be pending.
Both Haywood and Johnson were lodged in the Adair County Regional Jail . Ofc Drew Conn and John Dial are continuing the investigation. Conn and Dial were assisted by Chief Jason Cross , Sgt Jr Murphy, Ofc. Josh Brockman, Ofc Jordan Dean, Deputy Josh Durbin and Constable Jason Rector.