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Meyer charged in police standoff

By TERESA RESSEL

Friday, October 31, 2008

Thomas E. Meyer has been charged with four counts of unlawful use of a weapon after an incident at his home last week.

According to the probable cause statement filed in associate circuit court, police were dispatched to Meyer’s home on Joyce Drive after his ex-wife reported he was sitting in his backyard with a shotgun on his lap, drinking beer and threatening to kill himself.

When police arrived, they found him sitting just inside the door to his shed in the back yard with a shotgun, a 30/30-caliber rifle and alcohol. His threats to use the gun caused a two-and-a-half hour standoff. Traffic on nearby Business Route 32 was diverted out of concern that a high-powered rifle could penetrate a passing vehicle.

Police say he threatened to shoot several police officers. “... As Officer (Jesse) Boyer spoke with Tom, he looked to Chief (Rick) Baker and myself grasping the shotgun on his lap and said, ‘I’m a pretty good shot with this shotgun,’ then reaching for the left side, picking up a rifle, ‘I’m even better with this 30.30,” Lt. Chris Bullock wrote in his report.

Bullock said Meyer continued to drink during the standoff and threatened to shoot the tie clasp off of the police chief’s tie.

Police were eventually able to get the guns from Meyer after calming him down. When he was taken into custody, both guns were found to be fully loaded with live rounds in each chamber. He was transported to Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center for a psychiatric evaluation.

The first two charges filed allege 46-year-old Meyer exhibited loaded guns in a threatening manner Oct. 20. The second two charges allege he possessed the loaded guns while he was intoxicated.

If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to four years in prison on each charge. His bond was set at $50,000.