Former Missouri Police Officer Sentenced to Probation for Shooting at Fleeing Vehicle
A former Missouri police officer, Matthew Schanz, has recently been sentenced to five years of probation for his involvement in an incident where he fired shots at a car trying to escape, injuring the driver.
Guilty Admission
Matthew Schanz, 36, admitted his guilt to a second-degree assault charge. As part of his plea agreement, he must give up his state law enforcement certification during his probation. Efforts to contact his attorney, John Bouhasin, for a comment were unsuccessful.
The Chaotic Pursuit
Schanz and another officer, Christopher Gage, were both members of the Velda City police force, a suburb of St. Louis. The incident occurred in February 2020 when they pulled over a driver with expired temporary tags. When officers found marijuana in the vehicle, the driver tried to escape. Schanz then fired nine shots at the fleeing car.
The 37-year-old driver eventually crashed due to the gunfire, sustaining serious injuries. Thankfully, he has since recovered.
Christopher Gage, also involved in the incident, had previously pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon last year and received a three-year probation sentence.