State briefs 9/28/17

Worker suspended for robber gunfight

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A Pizza Hut worker said he was suspended without pay after a gunfight with a would-be robber at a Springfield restaurant. The Springfield News-Leader reported police said an armed man kicked the store's front glass door Sept. 12 to get inside after robbing teens in the parking lot. William Hotop, 31, said he ran to get a gun that was kept in the store. He said when the intruder pointed a gun at him, they exchanged gunfire in a "good old-fashioned gunfight." Hotop said he "protected" the store and is "basically" losing his job. Pizza Hut said in a statement that, as in any case involving police, the employees involved are on leave of absence during the investigation.

Medical episode led to fatal crash

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Authorities said a driver had a medical episode before striking a group of people with a sport-utility vehicle outside a Springfield elementary school, killing a 10-year-old boy. The Springfield News-Leader reported children tied teddy bears and notes Tuesday to the fence outside Campbell Elementary to honor Riddick Tudor, who died. Police said two other children, a library clerk and teaching assistant also were struck Monday on a sidewalk when the driver jumped a curb. Their injuries weren't life-threatening. Records show the 35-year-old driver doesn't have a driver's license. The Springfield man was described as having a "severe cognitive impairment," including a seizure disorder, in a 2007 petition that led to him being granted a court-appointed guardian.

Navy veteran to run for Missouri Senate

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Another Navy veteran is running for statewide office in Missouri. The Springfield News-Leader reported Courtland Sykes on Tuesday announced his candidacy for Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill's seat. Sykes is touting himself as a Republican outsider. McCaskill is up for re-election in 2018. Other Republican contenders include Attorney General Josh Hawley. According to his campaign website, Sykes joined the Navy in 2001 and worked as an intelligence analyst with the Navy SEALs. The newspaper reported Arkansas Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman also paid Sykes to do military and veteran-affairs work in 2016.

Fired police captain reinstated after suit

ST. LOUIS -- A black St. Louis police captain was reinstated after alleging in a lawsuit his race played a role in his firing. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the city's Civil Service Commission voted Tuesday instead to reprimand Capt. Ryan Cousins in writing. His firing last year stemmed from a burglary investigation in which a black man was suspected of shooting at would-be burglars. Police handcuffed the man after discovering he was a felon, which barred him from possessing a firearm. Cousins was accused of freeing the man and ordering reports to be altered. Cousins said other officers, many of them white, blamed him to cover up their offenses. He said there was a warrantless search, and the man was questioned without being read his rights.

-- From wire reports