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Police scanner audio: 'I'm hit multiple times.'

3 Clinton officers shot while responding to 911 call Tuesday night

KMBC SOURCE: KMBC
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Police scanner audio: 'I'm hit multiple times.'

3 Clinton officers shot while responding to 911 call Tuesday night

As authorities investigate the fatal shooting of a Clinton police officer and the wounding of two other officers, audio from police scanners reveals a heartbreaking scene.Clinton police were called at 9:20 p.m. to the 300 block of Grandriver Street after Henry County authorities received an open 911 call. A woman could be heard screaming in the background, investigators said.The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the officers were then dispatched to a house not involved in that disturbance call. They are looking into why officers were dispatched to a second location.Because officers believed they were investigating a disturbance, Sgt. Bill Lowe with the MSHP said they had to enter that home. That's when the three Clinton police officers came under fire. Those officers made their way inside, trying to reach the woman heard on the 911 call. All three officers were shot. Police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton, 30, died from multiple gunshot wounds.Officer Nathan Bettencourt is recovering from gunshot wounds and a surgery at a hospital here in Kansas City. Officer Nicholas Kasper was also treated for gunshot wounds in connection with this incident. He was released from the hospital early Wednesday. Broadcastify captured scanner communications between police dispatchers and the officers.Officer: "Shots fired!"Police dispatcher: "Clinton cars status?'Police dispatcher: "Clinton cars status check?"Officer: "Start an ambulance. We've got one officer hit in the arm."Audio recordings indicate an ambulance was dispatched to the scene.Officer: "Nineteen, where you at?"Morton: "Backroom, right side, all the stuff in it."Officer: "Where are you?"Morton: "Backroom, right side, inside."Officer: "Morton, you good?"Morton: "No. I'm hit multiple times. One ... least arm, both legs, and head and vest."The officer tells the police dispatcher to get an ambulance to scene.Officer: "Morton, can you make it out a window?"Morton: "I don't think so. I don't know if I can move my feet."Officer: "Nineteen, where you at?"Morton: "Backroom. I'm stuck."Officer: "Can you see the suspect?"There is no answer.Officer: "Nineteen, talk to us."Police dispatcher: "Three-nineteen, what's your status?"There is no answer.Officer: "Watch for crossfire, guys. Watch for crossfire."Officer: "Morton, stay with us. Stay with us, Morton."Authorities said the two wounded officers were able to get out of the house, taking a woman inside with them as they retreated.But Morton was not able to get out on his own. The Bates County's CERT team pulled Morton out when they arrived at the scene.The Highway Patrol's SWAT team entered the home just after midnight. Investigators said the suspect, James E. Waters, 37, of Clinton, was found dead from gunshot wounds. It was not immediately clear if he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.The Missouri State Highway Patrol is waiting for an autopsy to determine Waters's official cause of death. Even though those officers were dispatched to the wrong home, they did find criminal activity inside. On Wednesday afternoon, authorities said a woman inside that home had been charged with possession of methamphetamine with intention to distribute. Tammy Widger is being held on $25,000 bond. Authorities said Waters was also wanted in for questioning in connection with a rape case. He had not been charged in that case. At the time of the shooting, Waters was already out on bond for a weapons charge out of Harrisonville. Morton was an Army veteran who had been deployed twice, serving as a bridge crew member and radio communications manager in Afghanistan. The Kansas City Royals honored him for his service in 2014.Morton was set to be initiated into the Clinton Elks Lodge Monday night with fellow police officers from Clinton. “He was just four days, five days away from becoming a Clinton Elk, so, that’s kind of hard to take,” said Clinton Elks House Committee Chairman Steve Cummings.Multiple friends tell KMBC that Morton stepped up to serve with Clinton police after Officer Gary Michael was shot and killed in August.“That’s the kind of guy he was,” said one of his friends, Jennifer Cole “ stepped up for everybody, cared about everybody, and always took care of everybody.”

As authorities investigate the fatal shooting of a Clinton police officer and the wounding of two other officers, audio from police scanners reveals a heartbreaking scene.

Clinton police were called at 9:20 p.m. to the 300 block of Grandriver Street after Henry County authorities received an open 911 call. A woman could be heard screaming in the background, investigators said.

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The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the officers were then dispatched to a house not involved in that disturbance call. They are looking into why officers were dispatched to a second location.

Because officers believed they were investigating a disturbance, Sgt. Bill Lowe with the MSHP said they had to enter that home. That's when the three Clinton police officers came under fire.

Those officers made their way inside, trying to reach the woman heard on the 911 call.

All three officers were shot. Police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton, 30, died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Officer Nathan Bettencourt is recovering from gunshot wounds and a surgery at a hospital here in Kansas City. Officer Nicholas Kasper was also treated for gunshot wounds in connection with this incident. He was released from the hospital early Wednesday.

Broadcastify captured scanner communications between police dispatchers and the officers.

Officer: "Shots fired!"

Police dispatcher: "Clinton cars status?'

Police dispatcher: "Clinton cars status check?"

Officer: "Start an ambulance. We've got one officer hit in the arm."

Audio recordings indicate an ambulance was dispatched to the scene.

Officer: "Nineteen, where you at?"

Morton: "Backroom, right side, all the stuff in it."

Officer: "Where are you?"

Morton: "Backroom, right side, inside."

Officer: "Morton, you good?"

Morton: "No. I'm hit multiple times. One ... least arm, both legs, and head and vest."

KMBC-TV

The officer tells the police dispatcher to get an ambulance to scene.

Officer: "Morton, can you make it out a window?"

Morton: "I don't think so. I don't know if I can move my feet."

Officer: "Nineteen, where you at?"

Morton: "Backroom. I'm stuck."

Officer: "Can you see the suspect?"

There is no answer.

Officer: "Nineteen, talk to us."

Police dispatcher: "Three-nineteen, what's your status?"

There is no answer.

Officer: "Watch for crossfire, guys. Watch for crossfire."

Officer: "Morton, stay with us. Stay with us, Morton."

KMBC-TV

Authorities said the two wounded officers were able to get out of the house, taking a woman inside with them as they retreated.

But Morton was not able to get out on his own. The Bates County's CERT team pulled Morton out when they arrived at the scene.

The Highway Patrol's SWAT team entered the home just after midnight. Investigators said the suspect, James E. Waters, 37, of Clinton, was found dead from gunshot wounds. It was not immediately clear if he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is waiting for an autopsy to determine Waters's official cause of death.

Even though those officers were dispatched to the wrong home, they did find criminal activity inside. On Wednesday afternoon, authorities said a woman inside that home had been charged with possession of methamphetamine with intention to distribute. Tammy Widger is being held on $25,000 bond.

Tammy Widger

Authorities said Waters was also wanted in for questioning in connection with a rape case. He had not been charged in that case.

At the time of the shooting, Waters was already out on bond for a weapons charge out of Harrisonville.

Morton was an Army veteran who had been deployed twice, serving as a bridge crew member and radio communications manager in Afghanistan. The Kansas City Royals honored him for his service in 2014.

Morton was set to be initiated into the Clinton Elks Lodge Monday night with fellow police officers from Clinton.

“He was just four days, five days away from becoming a Clinton Elk, so, that’s kind of hard to take,” said Clinton Elks House Committee Chairman Steve Cummings.

Multiple friends tell KMBC that Morton stepped up to serve with Clinton police after Officer Gary Michael was shot and killed in August.

“That’s the kind of guy he was,” said one of his friends, Jennifer Cole “[He] stepped up for everybody, cared about everybody, and always took care of everybody.”