VIDEO: Mo. Woman Kills Self In Cruiser
A woman being transported to the hospital by an Alton (Mo.) Police officer on Wednesday grabbed the officer's gun and turned it on herself during a scuffle in the front seat of the cruiser.
Stephanie Hicks, 20, fatally shot herself at about 9 a.m. during the ride after the officer found her walking across the Clark Bridge. Hicks was not suicidal on the bridge and was medically cleared by paramedics, reports St. Louis Today.
During interviews with KTVI, family members blamed the officer for the death. Hicks is 5-foot-1 and 100 pounds.
"How did that little girl get that gun," said Joan Singleton, Hicks' grandmother. "Tell me how she got that gun from a police officer."
Alton Police Chief David Hayes said his officer didn't violate departmental proceedures.