Second Joplin Police officer will not recover from injuries sustained from Tuesday shooting
A second Joplin Police Officer will not recover from injuries he sustained after an altercation with a suspect Tuesday.
Police say Officer Jake Reed will not recover from his injuries. Plans are underway for Jake’s heroic actions to bring life to others needing an organ transplant.
Jake leaves behind a wife, with whom he married in 2021. He began his career with Joplin Police in 2017.
Police also identified the third officer that was shot as Officer Rick Hirshey. He remains in serious condition but is stable.
On Wednesday, police announced that Cpl. Benjamin Cooper passed away from his injuries.
It all stems from a disturbance call Tuesday afternoon when officers responded to the area of 4th and Rangeline. Once on scene, officers Ben Cooper and Jake Reed contacted the reported subject, who was later identified as 40-year-old Anthony R. Felix of Joplin.
As the two attempted to take Felix into custody, he shot the two officers and fled the scene in a stolen patrol car. Officers attempted to stop Felix, who fired shots from the stolen patrol vehicle at pursuing officers, striking a patrol vehicle.
Felix wrecked the patrol car shortly thereafter and fled on foot to the area of 9th and Connecticut. Officers once again located Felix, and that’s when Officer Hirshey encountered Felix as he was trying to steal another vehicle. Officer Hirshey pulled his patrol vehicle up to box in the suspect, to prevent escape and to end this violent rampage. Felix fired through the patrol car window, striking Officer Hirshey in the face.
Court records in Arizona state that in 2019, the suspect, Anthony Felix was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being convicted of aggravated assault on a police officer and for physically resisting arrest.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Joplin Police Department at this time.
Photos from the media briefing are below:
