An off-duty St. Louis police officer shot and wounded a burglar after discovering the man in a neighbor's house on Friday.
The accused burglar, Laderrell Smith, 44, of the 1400 block of Montclair Avenue, was charged Saturday with second degree burglary, attempt to disarm a peace officer, third degree assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.
Smith is being held in lieu of $45,000 bail.
The 48-year-old officer was home in the 5200 block of Lexington Avenue in the city's Kingsway West neighborhood about 1:25 p.m. Friday when he heard a noise from a neighbor's home, police said. He knew his neighbor wasn't home, so he went to check out the noise. He carried his personal firearm, not a department-issued weapon.
Looking inside the neighbor's home, the officer saw a man inside, police said. The man in the home fled, escaping through a window. The officer confronted the burglar and they struggled over the officer's gun.
The officer fired at the burglar, hitting him in the leg and hip area, police said. Police later identified the burglar as Smith. He was treated at a hospital and was in police custody Friday night, police said.
The officer was not injured, police said. He has served the police force for 24 1/2 years. He has been placed on administrative leave, as is department policy.
A neighbor, Daisy Callicott, 62, said she walked to her back door after hearing gunfire and someone shouting to get down. She said she couldn't see anything because her garage was obstructing her view.
"I heard somebody saying help help call police," she said. "Then I heard another voice say get down get down then I heard a second shot."
Callicott, who said she has lived on the block for more than 30 years without problems, said she was relieved the officer took action.
"I'm so glad he was home," she said. "I hope the word spreads that there is someone around here ready for something."
Copyright 2013 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
