Man shot during struggle with thief in Poplar Bluff

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Local authorities are investigating a Sunday home invasion/robbery in which a man was shot in the neck as he struggled with one of the alleged suspects.

At about 4:30 p.m., Poplar Bluff police were called to a home in the 1600 block of Sanders Avenue, chief Danny Whiteley said.

When officers arrived, Whiteley said, they found Chris Gregory, 27, had been taken to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center for treatment of a gunshot wound.

Whiteley said officers spoke with James Isom, who lived at the residence with Gregory.

"He alleged two black males with ski masks on had kicked in the door and were demanding money," Whiteley explained. "He said one had a rifle. He described it as an AK 47, and the other had a handgun."

When the suspects entered, Whiteley said, Gregory and Isom were seated on a couch in the living room with two women watching TV.

"Mr. Isom said he gave the suspects the money in his pocket," Whiteley said. "Mr. Gregory was refusing.

"The black male suspect hit Mr. Gregory with the butt end of the rifle," he said. "When he did, it went off [and] shot a hole in the ceiling into the roof."

The suspect with the rifle, Whiteley said, then went into an adjacent bedroom.

"Then, according to Mr. Isom, Mr. Gregory lunged at the suspect with the small handgun, and the gun went off in the struggle, striking Mr. Gregory in the back neck area," Whiteley said.

Isom, he said, reported one of the suspects then said: "'We've got to get out of here,' and they both fled on foot."

After the suspects fled, "they cleaned up Mr. Gregory's wounds, according to Isom," Whiteley said. "They took his shirt off and then transported him to the hospital.

"All this time, they did not call police. They did not call police until [Isom] was back from the hospital," he said.

Gregory was stabilized and transferred to a Cape Girardeau hospital before he was taken to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis for further treatment, Whiteley said.

Officers believe the robbery suspects "knew that this house had possibly been used for drug transactions involving high-grade marijuana," he said.

"[The suspects] were either wanting to get the dope or hoping to find a large amount of money at the residence," Whiteley said.