FLORAL, Ark. – A tragic series of events unfolded late Sunday morning in Crystal City, Missouri, ending with the death of a woman found inside a pickup truck and a shootout between police and an armed man from Arkansas.
The incident began around 11 a.m. when Festus police responded to reports of gunfire near a White Castle restaurant on Highway A near Interstate 55. Festus Police Chief Doug Wendel stated that officers identified a Dodge Ram pickup truck suspected of involvement in the shooting and began a pursuit as the vehicle headed east toward Crystal City.
Officers from Festus and Crystal City tried to stop the truck, but the driver, later identified as 40-year-old Jarrett Cousins, continued south on South Truman Parkway. The chase ended when the truck struck a concrete median, spinning out and coming to a stop.
According to Crystal City Police Chief Chad Helms, Cousins exited the vehicle wearing body armor and carrying multiple firearms. Eyewitnesses described tense moments as Cousins pointed pistols at his own head before firing them without harming himself.
“He was yelling and acting erratically,” one witness said, speaking anonymously out of safety concerns.
Officers repeatedly ordered Cousins to drop his weapons. Witnesses captured cell phone footage showing Cousins pointing a firearm at police, prompting officers to open fire.
Despite being struck, Cousins managed to stand and pointed his weapon again, leading officers to fire additional shots. Helms confirmed that Cousins fired during the confrontation, and officers returned fire. No officers were injured during the chaotic exchange.
Inside the truck, authorities discovered the body of 45-year-old Clara Blaxton, who had been reported as traveling with Cousins. Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak stated that Blaxton’s death was not caused by gunfire from law enforcement, but the cause of her death remains under investigation.
The Dodge Ram, which had Arkansas plates, suggested that Cousins and Blaxton had traveled from Arkansas to Missouri earlier that day.
Additional information from Cousins’ family in Floral, Arkansas, painted a picture of a man struggling with personal challenges. Rose Davidson, Cousins’ grandmother, recounted her last interaction with him just hours before the incident. He had stopped by her home, left his best coat for his brother with a note, and left abruptly after telling her he loved her.
“He said, ‘I love you,’ gave me a hug and a kiss, and then he just left,” Davidson shared.
Davidson said Cousins had a history with drug addiction, had recently been released from prison, and was coping with depression following a difficult recovery from a broken leg.
Police are continuing to investigate Blaxton’s death, with her body sent to the Missouri Crime Lab for a determination of the cause and manner of death. Law enforcement agencies, including the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Arkansas State Police, are working together to piece together the events leading to the tragedy.
Authorities are requesting assistance from the public and have asked anyone with information, cell phone footage, or surveillance video to contact them via email at crimetips@jeffcomo.org.
This incident underscores the challenges law enforcement faces and highlights the importance of thoroughly investigating the tragic sequence of events that led to Blaxton’s death and the confrontation in Crystal City.
