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ST. LOUIS — In a tragic incident early Friday morning, a man wielding a knife was fatally shot by an officer outside a terminal at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, officials reported. Thankfully, no other individuals were harmed during the confrontation.
The incident unfolded around 1 a.m., according to St. Louis County Police spokesperson Vera Clay. The location of the shooting was just outside the terminal, near the light rail line that connects travelers to the airport. This area is not secured by a checkpoint, as noted on the airport’s online maps.
For approximately three hours, the rail service to Terminal 1 was suspended, necessitating the use of shuttles to transport passengers from alternative drop-off locations. The rail service was restored later in the morning, and the airport remained operational throughout the incident, stated Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, the airport’s director, in a press release.
Clay mentioned that officers had observed the unidentified man in a restricted area where he was not authorized to be. Despite requests to vacate the premises, the man refused, leading to the unfortunate escalation.
Clay said officers had noticed the man, who was not identified, in an area where he should not have been and refused to leave.
Clay said the man showed officers a knife when they tried to get him to move. Officers used Tasers but the man continued to advance toward the officers and one of them fired their gun, fatally wounding the man, Clay said.
“We don’t believe this was an individual trying to catch an airplane or coming into town,” Clay said.
She said part of the investigation will be focused on determining why the person was there and needed to be removed.
The two officers were part of the airport’s police department and had six months and one year of service on the force respectively, as well as earlier law enforcement experience, St. Louis County police said in an emailed statement.