Standoff in Adrian leaves one injured, one dead, and many concerned

On June 26, 2009 the Bates County Sheriff’s Office received information that there was a subject living in the north part of Bates County who was wanted on multiple counts of attempted murder, weapons violations, and burglary out of two separate states.

On June 30, a “No Knock” search warrant was obtained for the residence of Mr. Douglas Miller, located on County Road 4501. As the Warrant Team entered the residence, they encountered Mr. Miller at the end of the hall where he began to fire upon officers. A Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper was struck by the gun fire. An officer from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Bates County Sheriff’s Office returned fire, striking the suspect multiple times.

At approximately 10:00 p.m., the Bates County Coroner Gary Schowengerdt pronounced Douglas Miller dead at the residence. The injured trooper was treated for minor injuries and released. The official cause of death was suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot.

Pictured: After a press conference held near the scene of a police standoff in Adrian, Highway Patrol Sgt. Scott Meyer (left) answers questions from the media, including reporters from the major television networks in Kansas City.

(photo by Mike Burris)