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TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI NEWS-LEADER.COM A GANNETT COMPANY

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SPORTS, 1D

TIDAL WAVE OF SNOW HITS NORTHEAST PAGE 1B

OFFICER SHOT, ARREST MADE

Overnight incident begins
behind local auto parts store

7-hour search nets suspect

hiding not far from scene

VALERIE MOSLEY/NEWS-LEADER

Police arrest Joshua Hagood in the parking lot of Rent to Own Autos at Glenstone Ave. and Chestnut Exp. on Monday. The lot is across Glenstone Avenue from the OReillys, near where a police
officer was shot in the early morning.

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DOZENS OF OFFICERS
INVOLVED IN MANHUNT
By Claudette Riley |

CRILEY@NEWS-LEADER.COM

he most serious Springfield police officer shooting since

the late 1990s triggered an intense manhunt with dozens
of officers going door-to-door, through weeds, across
train tracks and over fences.
The seven-hour search culminated in officers pulling
a disheveled man out of hiding across the street from
where Officer Aaron Pearson was shot.
Police Chief Paul Williams said the investigation started shortly before 1:30 a.m. Monday, when an officer noticed suspicious activity three people hanging out behind a closed business at the OReilly Auto Parts store at the corner of Glenstone
Avenue and Chestnut Expressway.
Three officers including 30-year-old Pearson responded to the
scene.
The officers split up and each were tasked with questioning
one of the subjects, Williams said.
Moments later, Pearson was shot at least once, and suffered serious injuries. Other officers secured the scene and helped Pearson, who was taken to a local hospital where he remained Monday
evening.
Williams said every available officer, was pulled in to help
with the search. Some officers stayed later and others came in
early. We had officers calling in who were off today who wanted

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VOL. 125, NO. 27
2015, NEWS-LEADER

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By Claudette Riley |

See OFFICER, Page 5A

Suspect has a history of police assault

By Claudette Riley
CRILEY@NEWS-LEADER.COM
and Stephen Herzog
SHERZOG@NEWS-LEADER.COM

A Lawrence County man arrested near where a Springfield police officer was shot
early Monday was previously
convicted of assaulting a police
officer.

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CRILEY@NEWS-LEADER.COM

At a press conference Monday afternoon, Police

Chief Paul Williams called injured officer Aaron
Pearson a great street officer.
Williams described Pearson as a dedicated lawman who joined the force three years ago this week.
He enjoyed working the graveyard shift Aaron
keeping you all safe while you are sleeping, he Pearson
said.
Pearson, who is married with two children, was responding to
help fellow officers early Monday when he was shot, at least once.

ONLINE

See SHOOTING, Page 4A

Online now

Officer shot is married with

kids; in critical condition

Police Spokeswoman Lisa Cox said

anyone wishing to
make a donation
on behalf of the
officer may do so
through the Missouri Fraternal
Order of Police
Foundation. The
primary account
location is Commerce Bank at 2770
W. Republic Rd.
Checks can also
be sent to:
Missouri FOP Foundation
2101 W. Chesterfield Blvd. C100-91
Springfield, MO
65807
Write Springfield Police in the
memo line. Donations will go to the
family.

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Joshua Lee Hagood, 32, was

found and arrested early Monday inside a fenced-in lot behind a business less than a
block away from the intersection of Glenstone Avenue and
Chestnut Expressway, where
an officer was shot seven hours
earlier.
See SUSPECT, Page 5A

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