Poplar Bluff police look for shooting suspect

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — As a Poplar Bluff teenager awaited surgery at a St. Louis hospital Thursday, local authorities continued to search for the man they believe shot him Wednesday afternoon.

Markell Eskridge, 16, was taken to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center and subsequently flown to Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to the head.

"The last report we had was he was in stable condition, awaiting surgery," said Poplar Bluff police chief Danny Whiteley. "It's our understanding the removal of the bullet will not be a problem, but the removal of bone fragments will present a challenge, which [local doctors] determined needed a specialist at a facility in St. Louis."

Bradley Louis Jordan, 20, was charged Wednesday night with unlawful use of a weapon by Butler County assistant prosecuting attorney Paul Oesterreicher.

The complaint on file with the court alleges Jordan fired a weapon from a motor vehicle, injuring Markell Eskridge.

Deputy chief Jeff Rolland said officers are actively looking for Jordan.

"Anyone with information about his whereabouts should contact their local law enforcement agency," Rolland said.

Authorities learned of the shooting at about 1:15 p.m. when officers responded to a residence in the 600 block of North Sixth Street.

When officers arrived, they reportedly learned Eskridge had been taken by private vehicle to a nearby medical facility for treatment.

While on the scene, officers also learned Jordan and Keon Allen were with Eskridge when he was shot. Both were taken to the police station for questioning.

As a result of those interviews, officers were told the shooting had occurred on Alice Street, near the Northside Nutrition Center.

In verbal and written statements, two witnesses reported seeing a white Pontiac passenger car southbound on Alice Street stop at Hart Street, Detective Leigh Raymer said in her probable cause affidavit. A dark colored sports car, possibly a Ford Mustang, was northbound

on Alice and it stopped next to the Pontiac, Raymer said.

"The front seat passenger of the white Pontiac immediately extended his right arm through the passenger side window, reached across the top of the car and fired several shots at the dark colored sports car," Raymer explained. "The dark colored sports car fled the scene. The front seat passenger of the white Pontiac noticed [the witnesses], pointed the pistol in their direction and fired one or two rounds over their heads."

"Two rounds, fired by the front seat passenger of the white Pontiac, struck the roof of the white Pontiac and entered the passenger compartment," Raymer said. "One round struck Markell Eskridge in the head."

The Pontiac, she said, then fled the scene. Raymer said the Pontiac's other occupants were identified as Jordan, Sterling Marshall, who was driving, and Allen, who was in the back seat with Eskridge.

During interviews, "Marshall and Allen identified Jordan as the front seat passenger, but stated they had not seen him with a firearm," Raymer said.

Their accounts were consistent; Jordan's account was the only one different, explained Detective David Sutton. "Everyone else put Bradley Jordan in the front passenger seat, saying he's the one who shot over the car and accidentally struck the 16-year-old passenger.

"Bradley Jordan's account was not consistent with other statements and with the physical evidence."

As usual in an investigation of this nature, "the criminal records of both the victim and suspect are hindering our investigation as they are not very cooperative in relating the actual sequence of events," Whiteley said.

During Jordan's interview in the department's Criminal Investigation Bureau, Raymer said, Capt. Mike Elliott told Jordan he was under arrest. "During a break in this interview, Jordan slipped from the interview room and fled the building," she said.