Man shot Sunday morning in Sikeston, Mo.; suspect arrested

SIKESTON, Mo. -- One Sikeston man is in jail and another in the hospital after an early morning shooting this weekend.

"It was a drug deal gone bad," said Drew Juden, director of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety.

Sikeston police received a call at about 12:50 a.m. Sunday reporting a shooting had occurred at the Rhodes 101 Stop, 535 N. Main St.

"There were three shots fired; he was hit twice," Juden said. "The report to us was one of the bullets had penetrated his side and gone into the pelvis section." This bullet reportedly disintegrated causing a fragment to "split a section of his bowel," Juden said.

The second bullet ended up "right below the skin by his spine," according to Juden, adding that it would be "like popping a pimple to get it out."

The victim, Joseph B. Robertson, 37, of 737 Matthews in Sikeston, was transported to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau by ambulance, where his condition is reportedly "guarded and stable" according to police sources.

The suspect, Eric Pearsen, 22, of 122 Pin Oak in Sikeston, has been charged with armed criminal action and first degree assault by Scott County Prosecutor Paul Boyd, according to Juden.

"He was arrested by officers about four blocks from the scene on foot," Juden said. "Shortly after his arrest, subsequent to his cooperation, the weapon was recovered in an alleyway in the 500 block of North Ranney." The weapon was a .22 caliber pistol, according to Juden.

Pearsen remains in custody at the Scott County Jail with a $250,000 cash bond. "I think the officers did a great job," Juden said. "We've got the guy in custody and I hope the victim does OK."