05:28 PM CST on Friday, November 4, 2005

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Ste. Genevieve (KMOV) – The Missouri Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal shooting involving a mentally ill man and a Ste. Genevieve police officer.

KMOV

The incident reportedly started around 10:30 p.m. Thursday after police were called to a Conoco station on Highway 32 on a report of a man that was causing problems.

According to investigators, the suspect, Dennis Heberlie, 47, drove away from the scene when the officer arrived. The police officer followed but lost track of Heberlie's vehicle. The officer did manage to get the number off his license plate.

The plates were tracked to a trailer home just outside of town where Heberlie lived with his mother, sister and two nieces.

At around 10:45 p.m. police say the officer and a Ste. Genevieve County sheriff's deputy arrived at the home. According to police the officer went into the trailer and got into an altercation with Heberlie. It was during the altercation that investigators say the officer fired one shot that hit Heberlie.

Investigators say that the deputy was outside of the trailer at the time of the shooting.

Neighbors say that Heberlie was airlifted from the scene. He later died at the hospital.

Neighbors say that Heberlie was a small man, standing approximately 5’3” and weighed about 110 pounds. Friends say he was sweet like a child, and had obvious mental deficiencies. Neighbors say that Heberlie was taking medication.

The officer involved in the incident has been placed on administrative leave. Authorities have not released the name of the officer but say that he is the husband of a Corporal with the Missouri Highway Patrol out of Troop C in St. Louis County. The state patrol says that despite that connection they can conduct a fair investigation.

Ste. Genevieve is about 47 miles south of St. Louis.