ST LOUIS, MO – Further details have come to light regarding the investigation into the murder of St. Louis City Police Officer Tamarris Bohannon.
The suspect said to have murdered Officer Bohannon has now been officially charged, according to reports.
But what makes this case even more sordid is that reports indicate that the suspect in question has quite the criminal history.
Alleged suspect in Officer Bohannon homicide, has lengthy criminal history. https://t.co/BIzpleXwpZ
— D.A. King #StandUpToMarxists (@DAKDIS) September 1, 2020
The suspect now in custody has been identified as 43-year-old Thomas James Kinworthy Jr., who is currently being held in the St. Louis city jail.
Kinworthy has been recently charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, assault, burglary, resisting arrest, and unlawful possession of a firearm according to the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s office.
Kinworthy, who is from Florida reportedly, has a criminal record spanning decades between said state and Missouri. In 1998, Kinworthy was convicted of aggravated battery with a firearm for a road rage incident where he shot a man through the driver’s side window, causing the victim to lose three fingers from the gunshot.
Kinworthy was said to have served six-and-a-half years for that case. In 2009, Kinworthy was also convicted for exposing himself to an undercover police officer in Florida.
In January of 2020, Kinworthy managed to get charged with attempted sexual battery, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with a firearm in Florida.
The justice system failed Officer Bohannon. His killer previously served time for shooting and disfiguring someone, sexual assault (just a year ago), and in Jan. was found w/a cache of weapons and ammunition in his car as a felon and someone out on bond. https://t.co/uJR8izNs4u
— Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) August 31, 2020
In the attempted sexual battery case, police say that Kinworthy tied his victim up, choked them and then attempted to force himself on them. Police in Florida were also have said to have found numerous guns and ammunition inside of Kinworthy’s vehicle around the same time of the January charges.
Shockingly, Kinworthy has a warrant stemming from Florida for skipping an August court date related to the recent charges. Now, he’s being held under suspicion for the murder of Officer in Bohannon in St. Louis.
Brevard County Sheriff’s spokesman Tod Goodyear released the following statement about the Florida convict being the alleged murderer of the St. Louis Police officer:
“It is unfortunate someone as violent as him was able to get out of the court system and travel to St. Louis and take someone’s life. Our hearts go out to the families of the officers, particularly the officer who was killed.”
A memorial service and visitation is scheduled for September 5th from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in honor of Officer Bohannon, which is going to be hosted by the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. A procession is scheduled to take place prior to the memorial service, starting from the Serenity Memorial Funeral Home to the Cathedral Basilica.
The repast following the memorial is slated to take place at the Electrician’s Hall on Elizabeth Avenue.
The funeral for the fallen officer will then take place the following day at 2:00 p.m. on September 6th.
Here’s our original report on the death of Officer Bohannon.
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The officer ambushed and shot in the head on August 29th has died, police have confirmed to Law Enforcement Today.
Tamarris L. Bohannon, 29, passed away at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital. He had been with the department for nearly four years.
His partner who was shot in the leg has been released from the hospital.
Police reported that the suspect was taken into custody around 5am on the 30th after being barricaded in a residence for almost 12 hours.
Police advised that there were no additional shots fired and reported no other officers injured during the situation. Police have not released many details as to how the suspect was taken into custody.
Officer Tamarris L. Bohannon of the @SLMPD Police Department, was shot and killed. He leaves behind a wife and 3 children. There will be no outrage by #BLM and #Antifa or @CNN, @MSNBC; and no gold casket. pic.twitter.com/zHTRrB3hkH
— Bernard B. Kerik (@BernardKerik) August 31, 2020
St Louis Police Chief John Hayden reported that these two officers are the 7th and 8th to be shot since June 1st of this year in the city. Hayden said:
“Naturally, it’s very disturbing. We’re just trying to do our jobs and so our officers cope. We comfort one another. We seek assistance from counseling but, at the end of the day, we’re trying to cope through a very trying summers. It just seems very difficult, very difficult.”
Hayden added:
“Our officers have been going through a lot this summer, as you know. We’ve had a surge in violence. These officers, all they’re trying to do is do their job and help a person that’s wounded, and they come under gunfire themselves.”
The initial call happened on the 29th as officers responded to a report of gunshots around 6pm. Officers were searching for a possible gunshot victim in the area when the initial shots were fired at them.
Upon their arrival, the suspect began firing on them, striking one in the head and the other in the leg as he was attempting to rescue the downed officer.
St. Louis police officer Tamarris L. Bohannon dies after being shot in head; family writes heartfelt letter | Fox News https://t.co/HTH4fttfwU
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) August 31, 2020
The suspect fled the initial scene and went to a residence where he ordered all of the occupants out at gunpoint. The man then barricaded himself inside the home.
SWAT officers responded to the scene and the people inside the Hartford area were told to shelter inside their homes. Hostage negotiators began their attempts at getting the suspect outside without any further harm.
Residents in the area advise they heard several loud popping noises between 8pm which lasted on and off until roughly 9:30pm. It is unknown if those loud popping noises were gunshots or not.
Officers made entry into the building but the suspect was not located. The area has been reopened to pedestrian/vehicular traffic.
Homicide will be handling this ongoing investigation.
Special thanks @stlcountypd SWAT for assisting us with this scene. https://t.co/vgD8qJ7oZm
— St. Louis, MO Police (@SLMPD) August 30, 2020
Residents said that officers were attempting to talk the suspect out of the home on a bullhorn or loud speaker. One resident reported hearing the police saying:
“Come on, son, you have a wife and kid…you gotta come out.”
It is apparent that these initial attempts failed. At some point, police did utilize tear gas which was fired into the residence; however, it is unclear at what point in the standoff that occurred. We do know that the suspect did eventually surrender on the 30th.
Hayden said:
“While they’re on the scene, they hear shots, and our first officer, who is very critically injured, and when I say very critically injured, he’s very critically injured, he was shot. He has a head wound. And that officer is down.
“As our brave officers were trying to get him secured, other officers responded to the scene, and another one of our officers was shot in the leg. Both are at area hospitals. Doctors are working feverishly to assist them.”
A resident in the area, Matt Miller, told the St Louis Post Dispatch that he estimated over 70 officers that had responded to the area during the incident. The officers formed a perimeter around the area and closed down the roadways to keep innocent people out of harms way.
Missouri Republican Governor and former law enforcement officer Mike Parson said on Twitter:
“Two @SLMPD officers were shot by a gunman tonight while protecting St Louis citizens, and they are now hospitalized. Teresa & I are praying for the officers and their families. Chief Hayden said this makes eight STL officers shot since June. This violence must end! #BackTheBlue.”
Two @SLMPD officers were shot by a gunman tonight while protecting St. Louis citizens, and they are now hospitalized. Teresa & I are praying for the officers and their families. Chief Hayden said this makes eight STL officers shot since June. This violence must end! #BackTheBlue https://t.co/bT97CdfBHY
— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) August 30, 2020
A statement from Bohannon’s family says he is survived by a wife, Alexis, and three children.
Bohnannon came to be “affectionately known” by his District Two squad as “Bo.”
“The loss of this great man is felt deeply within the St. Louis community and we ask for your prayers and support in the days ahead,” the statement read.
Mayor Lyda Krewson said she was “heartbroken” at Bohannon’s death, and that Bohannon’s family is “immensely proud of the way he selflessly served and protected our community with distinction and honor for more than three years.”
“This is a horrific reminder of the dangers our brave men and women willingly face everyday to keep us safe,” Krewson said in her statement on Sunday.
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