12/03/2008

By CHERYL WITTENAUER  / Associated Press

A 41-year-old man was charged Wednesday in the October shooting death of a suburban St. Louis police sergeant.

St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch charged Todd Shepard, of Berkeley, with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

University City Police Sgt. Michael King was shot to death while in his patrol car on the night of Oct. 31 in the popular University City Loop, an entertainment and commercial strip just outside the St. Louis city limit.

A witness said King, 50, was sitting in his car when a man approached and shot him.

McCulloch would not discuss a possible motive or details in the case other than that a stolen .38-caliber handgun was left at the scene. The criminal complaint said King was shot multiple times.

McCulloch said he knew of no connection between King and the shooter.

Shepard was taken into custody on Nov. 4 in the Kansas City area for an unrelated federal charge of possession of a firearm by a felon. He is being held without bond in the St. Louis County jail, and now faces both state and federal charges.

McCulloch credited good police work by King's colleagues in the University City police department.

"Sgt. King was one of their own," McCulloch said. "He was close to the officers involved" in the investigation.

Police Chief Charles Adams said King's colleagues in the department are glad the case has been referred to the courts, adding it is "extremely important to our healing."