Jennings man admits shooting at police in federal case

ST. LOUIS – A Jennings man appeared in federal court on Tuesday and admitted shooting at police and federal task force officers in 2021.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Derek D. Brown, 50, went to his stepdaughter’s home in St. Louis County on the morning of March 18, 2021, to confront his wife.

According to our news partners at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Brown threatened to kill his stepdaughter and even held a machete to his 5-year-old stepgrandson’s throat. The stepdaughter took out a .45 caliber pistol and demanded Brown leave.

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Brown wrestled the gun away from his stepdaughter and left the house with the gun.

Police learned Brown had an outstanding warrant for parole violation, and relatives told them Brown would likely go to his sister’s residence.

St. Louis County police officers, including those who’d been deputized as federal task force officers, went to the sister’s home.

Brown walked out of the home to confront the police. When officers informed Brown that he was under arrest, he took out a gun and started shooting.

Brown retreated into the home and eventually surrendered

Brown pleaded guilty to one count of assault on a federal officer and two counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

Brown will be sentenced on May 28. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the assault charge. Each firearm charge carries a minimum 10-year prison term, which would run consecutively to any other sentence.

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