Douglas County Sheriff Involved In Fatal Shooting Thursday Morning

Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase is on administrative leave this week as the Missouri State Highway Patrol wraps up its investigation of a fatal shooting last Thursday morning.
Although the Herald has spoken with Degase, all information about the incident is being released by the Highway Patrol which is in charge of the investigation.
What is known is that Degase shot and killed an assailant in western Douglas County during what started out as a routine call Thursday morning.
Following is the statement released by the Highway Patrol’s Troop G Headquarters. The release does not identify the officer as Sheriff Degase, although that information has now been made public.
At approximately 8:20 a.m., on Thursday, Aug. 30, an officer with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of two individuals working on a disabled motor vehicle on Douglas County Road 542 in extreme western Douglas County.
Upon arriving at the scene, the officer observed a male and female standing outside the vehicle.  The officer recognized the female subject as Crystal Denise Prock, 30, of South Fork, Colo., who was  wanted on an outstanding Douglas County warrant.
As the officer attempted to place Prock under arrest, she resisted and a struggle ensued.  The male subject, later identified as David Leroy Phillips, 41, of Hillsdale, Ill., allegedly made threatening statements and advanced on the officer with an unknown weapon in hand.
The officer then fired upon Phillips, fatally wounding him.  Prock was able to evade capture and fled into the woods.
Officers from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, Troops D and G of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Missouri Department of Conservation, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control responded to the scene.
A manhunt for Crystal Prock was initiated and resulted in her arrest at approximately 7:10 p.m. Thursday at a residence off Missouri Route A in Douglas County.
Prock was charged with a felony probation violation warrant from Douglas County. She was released to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department.
The charge for which Prock has been arrested is mere accusation and is not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charge must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
The Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control is handling the investigation.
Degase said he immediately put himself on leave and will be meeting the same requirements that he would require of any of his deputies concerning “fit to return to duty.”
“I will be deferring all statements regarding the incident to the Highway Patrol as they are conducting the investigation,” Degase said.
Degase went on to say, “I am okay and will be returning to work in an administrative capacity only, until ‘fit for duty’ is obtained. I will not be responding to calls until that time,” the sheriff said.