By JIM FARIS
Multiple law enforcement agencies converged in Gower shortly after noon Saturday, after a man threatened to commit "suicide by cop" and was believed to be armed with both a firearm and explosive devices.
According to a release from the Clinton County Sheriff's Office, around 12:19 PM August 22nd, deputies responded to a call of a potentially suicidal man in Gower. Deputies met with Christopher Williams, 54, of Gower, near a residence. Williams was carrying a black backpack, refused commands from law enforcement, and fled the scene in a vehicle. During the following pursuit, Williams drove head-on towards deputies while displaying a suspected explosive out of the driver's window.
At 12:29, the chase moved into an open field behind a resturant in Gower.
At 12:31, an explosion occurred inside the suspect's vehicle. Shrapnel from the blast struck deputies' cars, but no officers were harmed. The Bomb Squad of Kansas City Missouri was deployed, and cleared the vehicle, uncovering further explosives.
The incident is an active investigation at this time, led by the Clinton County Sherriff's Office, in conjunction with law partners at multiple levels, including the aforementioned KCPD bomb squad, Gower, Cameron, and Saint Joseph Police, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Tri-County Regional SWAT team, the Missouri Department of Conservation, Clinton County Coroner, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).