Springfield Man Charged with Illegal Firearms Following Police Pursuit

A Springfield, Mo., man was charged in federal court today with illegally possessing several firearms following a police pursuit yesterday afternoon.

Clinton Demetrius McDonald, 30, was charged in the U.S. District Court in Springfield with being a felon in possession of firearms. McDonald, a convicted felon, was allegedly in possession of a loaded Palmetto 5.56-caliber semi-automatic rifle, a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a J.P. Sauer and Sohn .32-caliber semi-automatic pistol on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. McDonald is in federal custody.

According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s criminal complaint, Springfield police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the 2006 BMW McDonald was driving near the intersection of Cherry and National at about 3:42 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Officers were attempting to arrest McDonald in reference to a recent shooting incident. McDonald, the affidavit says, fled from the officers at a high rate of speed. His vehicle crashed moments later into the concrete steps of St. Agnes Cathedral near Cherry and Jefferson streets.

Officers arrived at the crash scene and found McDonald in the driver’s seat of the crashed vehicle. One passenger had been thrown forward onto the dash and windshield area. Another passenger was in the rear passenger seat.

The loaded J.P. Sauer and Sohn pistol was lodged in the windshield on the passenger side. Officers found a loaded Glock .40-caliber pistol in the front passenger side floor board of the vehicle, as well as a pill bottle on the driver’s side floor that contained suspected heroin. Officers had observed the loaded rifle being thrown out of the driver’s side window of the vehicle during the chase, the affidavit says, and also recovered the Glock 9mm pistol (which had been reported stolen) that a witness reportedly saw thrown from the vehicle during the chase.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. McDonald has a prior felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance.

The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.