The shooter, Todd Shepard, 43, received the verdict on Thursday for the crime committed in Oct., 2008.

The case now moves into the penalty phase. Prosecuting Attorney Robert P. McCulloch is seeking the death penalty.

Shepard testified that he shot University City Police Sgt. Michael King, who was a graduate of Washington University, on purpose as part of a plan to start an anti-government revolution.

According to the Post-Dispatch, Shepard said his actions were motivated in part by his history. In 2001, his girlfriend was shot and killed by a St. Louis County police officer.

Shepard recalled the moment of the shooting at his trial, the Post-Dispatch reported.

King had been sitting in his police cruiser on the corner of Leland Avenue and Delmar Boulevard.

Shepard’s testimony revealed that he had past drug arrests and is serving a 23-year federal sentence.

Sam Guzik | Student Life

Seniors Wyatt Crane (left) and Andrew Weisberg (right) look on at a University City City Council meeting Monday after speaking about what the city’s zero-tolerance policy implies for students in the area.

On Monday night, senior Wyatt Crane spoke at a University City council meeting about the increasing frequency of the University City Police Department’s invocation of the newly enacted zero-tolerance policy.

Two days later, Crane was arrested outside of his Kingsbury Boulevard apartment after being issued a citation for noise from a gathering that he said he did not even attend.

Crane and fellow senior Andrew Weisberg mobilized dozens of students earlier this week in the hopes of making peace with residents and the city government. His arrest is symptomatic of an increasing number of student arrests that have come at the helm of the city’s zero-tolerance policy, which was enacted this March.

Under this policy, the University City Police Department issues a summons every time it responds to a reported noise disturbance.

Crane said he was walking home around midnight after doing his laundry at the nearby Greenway Apartments when he saw a police car in the back of his apartment and an officer standing on his third floor fire escape balcony.

The door to Crane’s apartment was locked, and no one answered when the officer knocked.

Crane approached the door and the officer asked him if he lived in that specific apartment. Crane confirmed that he did, but explained that neither he nor his two roommates had attended the gathering.

The neighbors across the hall—who are close friends of Crane—had used both of the apartments to host a gathering of approximately 20 people.

Since the noise was emanating from his apartment, Crane said he took responsibility and cooperated with the officer as he was issued a noise citation.

According to Crane’s account, the officer took out handcuffs after issuing the citation and asked him to put his hands behind his back.

When Crane asked why he was being arrested, the officer said that he was “carrying out the procedure under the zero-noise tolerance policy.“

Senior Micah Kroeze, who lives across the hall from Crane, said he watched as Crane was issued a citation and went back inside. Fifteen minutes later, he was shocked to learn that Crane had been arrested.

“For the first 15 minutes that I was there, the officer was not arresting him at all, he was just taking down his information,” Kroeze said. “An arrest was never mentioned. There was no way in my mind that he was being arrested.”

Both Kroeze and Crane said that the officer never read Crane his Miranda rights—as all police officers are required to do under federal law.

Security in the area has been increased, but police have not yet been able to identify any suspects.

The Ph.D. student in Arts & Sciences from New Delhi, India  is still in critical condition and has been unable to speak with police and provide a description of her attacker, according to Capt. Michael Ransom of the University City Police Department.

Ransom did not provide details, but said that the police are currently working on some leads.

The student was found beaten in her apartment building at around 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 21.

According to a University press release, a Quadrangle employee doing maintenance discovered the victim, a tenant in the building, who was then taken to a hospital where she is currently reported to be in critical condition.

The building, located on the 700 block of Syracuse Avenue in University City, is owned by Quadrangle Housing, a University affiliate that owns and manages off-campus apartments for Washington University students and faculty.

The University City Police Department found no sign of forced entry into the building.

Don Strom, chief of the Washington University Police Department, sent out a crime alert to members of the off-campus community. The alert stated that the assault is believed to have occurred on Sunday, Dec. 20.

A subsequent e-mail was sent to the entire University community alerting members of this crime, which occurred one block north of the Delmar Loop.

The e-mail said that the University is offering counseling and support to other residents in the building and has also offered to help students move to another location if they feel unsafe in the area.

University City police and Washington University police are increasing security patrols in the area.

“U-City upped the amount of security in the area last night and today. The University communicated earlier in the day to students living off campus and the police contacted people who live in that building and that area,” said Steve Givens,  associate vice chancellor for public affairs. “We’ve been in direct contact with the students off campus and have posted information on doors.”

The University City Police Department is handling the investigation of this crime.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the University City Police Department at 314-725-2211 or Crime Stoppers at 866-371-TIPS.

Check back  for more information as this story develops.

A University City Police Officer patrols the Loop in his squad car Sept. 22. In response to increased crime, local police departments have stepped up the number of patrols in the area. (Mariam Shasavarani | Student Life)

Students can expect to see Washington University police officers patrolling past Blueberry Hill by the end of the semester.

This fall, the Washington University Police Department is teaming up with officers from University City and St. Louis to form joint enforcement patrols in the Skinker-DeBaliviere and Delmar neighborhoods.

“There are times when you can partner together and maximize your resources,” Chief of Police Don Strom said. “I think this affords us an opportunity to do that, recognizing that we all have a very vested interest in the success of the Delmar Loop and the neighborhoods around it.”

The joint patrols, which are still being finalized logistically, will involve police officers from the University and surrounding cities patrolling the areas together. The aim is to facilitate inter-city security enforcement.

Legal issues related to officers’ jurisdiction when outside their base areas of operation are also being worked out.

“We’re looking to prepare some memorandums of understanding that would better articulate some of the jurisdictional issues,” Strom said.

Joint patrols are part of a larger partnership

The joint patrols come as part of a broader effort at collaboration between the University and University City police departments.

Last April, the University seeded a $40,000 pilot project for University City to enhance its police presence in the Loop. The University’s support came at the request of University City.

A significant part of the seed money went toward funding overtime pay for University City police officers.

Cheryl Adelstein, director of community relations and local government affairs at the University, said having officers work overtime was the most practical way for University City to increase its patrols in the Delmar and Skinker-DeBaliviere areas.

“Those departments don’t have just people that patrol those streets—they have beats,” Adelstein said. “So in order to get the kind of coverage that we were looking to have, you needed designated people. Those designated people, because nobody has huge police departments anymore, were basically on overtime.”

The University’s seed money also went toward funding four Cannondale bicycles for University City officers to ride while on patrol.

Heightened security seems to be making the Loop safer

Other security measures have been taken in addition to increased patrol officers in the area.

University-funded closed circuit TV cameras were installed on the Loop earlier this year, and the University City curfew was tightened last spring.

Previously, city curfew for those 16 years of age and under was from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays and midnight to 6 a.m. on weekends. Now, curfew for minors in that age group is 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. seven days a week, unless they are on business or accompanied by an adult.

Together with the increased security patrols, these measures seem to be making the Loop area safer, some students said.

Senior Courtney Tydus, who lives in the University Terrace apartments just off Delmar, said she feels safe living in the area, especially with the heavy police presence.

“I do feel relatively safe,” she said. “I’ve lived off campus in other neighborhoods, and I feel like it’s comparable safety-wise.”

Strom said he is unable to speak on behalf of University City to discuss recent trends in crime in the area, but from his perspective, security around Delmar seems to be improving.

“If you look at just a snapshot of crime in the area—comparing 2009 to 2008—there’s some promising results in there,” he said.

Daniel Eicholtz | Student Life

Washington University has installed a closed-circuit television system on the Greenway Walk, which connects campus to University City’s Delmar Loop. This is a part of an effort to increase security in the Loop area in addition to neighborhood patrols and emergency telephones.

According to Chief of Police Don Strom, the installation process began Feb. 2.

“We’ve been conducting an ongoing review of safety and security issues in off-campus neighborhoods, and we identified Greenway as a key pedestrian area for students, faculty and staff,” Strom said. “We have previously increased security in the area during evening hours. Installing a closed-circuit television system is the logical next step to enhancing safety and security in the Loop area.”

In addition to installing the television system on Greenway, the University has upgraded the area’s lighting and emergency phones. The Neighborhood Security Patrol of the Washington University Police Department (WUPD) also monitors the Greenway Walk nightly from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The Greenway Walk is a popular pedestrian walkway between Melville and Westgate avenues. For the many University students who live off campus and use the Greenway Walk to get to and from classes on a daily basis, security is a necessity.

“Keeping students safe—and feeling safe—is among the University’s highest priorities,” Dean of Students Justin Carroll said. “We hope that the installation of this security system will discourage crime along the Greenway Walk and lead to a safer environment for all in the campus community living in and visiting University City.”

Despite all of the University’s efforts, crime is an unfortunate reality. This past October, four subjects mugged a female student at gunpoint near the Greenway Apartments. More recently in January, four subjects attacked a graduate student who was walking on Melville Avenue after he refused to give them money. The assailants fled after taking the student’s cell phone and cash.

To further protect students, cameras are also being installed on Melville Avenue from Kingsbury Boulevard to Washington Avenue.

The University is collaborating with University City to increase security not only in residential areas, but also on the Delmar Loop.

“Washington University continues to be a critical partner in maintaining the Loop as the premier entertainment district for the region, but equally important, Washington University is ensuring the surrounding residential areas continue to be safe, inviting neighborhoods where our residents feel comfortable relaxing and having fun,” said Julie Feier, city manager of University City.

In order to further ensure the safety of students, WUPD is collaborating with the University City Police Department (UCPD).

“Washington University provides financial support to the University City Police Department and assists with direct patrols,” Feier said. “The closed-circuit system will provide yet another means of keeping our community safe.”

This past Halloween night, the Washington University and University City community faced tragedy when convicted drug felon Todd Shepard shot and killed Sgt. Michael King, a 50-year-old UCPD officer, at the intersection of Delmar Boulevard and Leland Avenue.

Jonathan Ching, a freshman who hopes to live off campus as an upperclassman, is wary of all the dangers.

“I’m thinking about moving off campus, but it’s a really tough decision. I don’t think I’ll be doing it anytime soon,” Ching said. “Whenever I walk past metro stations and stores which have ‘No firearms’ signs, I’m constantly reminded that there are real risks to living off campus.”

Closed-circuit televison systems are already in use at the Danforth University Center, all residence halls on the Danforth Campus and the Snow Way, Lien and Danforth University Center garages. The cameras on Greenway are the University’s first off-campus security installations.

The University advises students to use common sense when going out and always to be alert.

The Missouri Highway Patrol in the Kansas City area has made an arrest of a suspect in the murder of Sergeant Michael King of the University City Police Department.

Captain Tim Hull, Director of Public Information for the Missouri State Highway Patrol said that the police have the correct vehicle stopped and have verified the identity of the person taken into custody, but have not yet released the suspect’s name to the public.

The suspect is assumed to be 41-year old Todd Shepard, the only person whom the police have named as a suspect.

Sergeant King, a Washington University alumnus, was shot in the head while on duty at about 10:20 p.m on Friday at the intersection of Leland Ave. and Delmar Blvd. He was a Washington University alumnus.

A University City police officer and alumnus of Washington University was shot and killed at 10:20 p.m. Friday on the Delmar Loop, at the corner of Leland Avenue and Delmar Boulevard.

Sgt. Michael King, 50, was reported to be sitting in the driver’s seat of his police cruiser when the killer approached the car by foot and fired several times at the officer before running away and climbing into a car.

According to an official press release from the University City Police Department, the suspect is an African-American male with an approximate height of 5’10’’ to 5’11’’ and a medium build. The suspect was wearing a light-colored shirt, dark pants and a multi-colored jacket.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the suspect may have been driving a gray 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass with the Missouri license plate 2AB28J.

Immediately after the shooting, the suspect took off in a vehicle west down Delmar and was pursued by police in a high-speed chase. The police, however, were unable to catch up with the car.

The police department’s press release identified 41-year-old Todd Shepard as a person of interest whom the police believe may have more information pertaining to the investigation.

No connections between the officer and Shepard have been made, and as of Saturday evening, Shepard has been the only person linked to the case.

Several witnesses at the crime scene recall hearing a series of gunshots and seeing King’s body lying outside the car. Another officer in the area heard shots fired and came to the scene.

The handgun used in the shooting has not been recovered.

Washington University Police Department (WUPD) Chief Don Strom confirmed to Associate Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Steve Givens that no University members had any affiliation with the crime. Nonetheless, WUPD personnel arrived at the scene to assist those already present.

“[WUPD] may have just been helping out because a squad car was nearby,” Givens said. “I think it was just one police force helping another.”

WUPD has not released a report on the incident and was unavailable for comment. Despite the fact that the crime occurred in an area where many University students reside, a crime alert was not issued to the University community.

Givens said that alerts are not often issued when the incident occurs off campus.

No plans for a campus memorial service for the University alum have been considered as of now. Givens said that if a memorial service is a possibility, it likely would not be discussed until Monday.

“The University only does a memorial service if that’s something that the family wants to do. If the family has their own church or temple, then we normally wouldn’t do it,” Givens said.

A 1980 graduate of the University, King dedicated his entire career as a police officer to the University City Police Department.

Junior Paul Fuchs, a Greenway resident, said he passed by the crime scene on his way to a party at around 11:15 p.m.

“I definitely feel a lot less secure than I did, especially after there was an armed robbery just two weeks ago,” Fuchs said. “It’s really scary with as much security as there is, that crime still happens, and it seems like there isn’t too much more you can do to prevent crime.”

Senior Aryeh Roskies, who lives in an apartment complex behind the Starbucks at the corner of Leland and Delmar, said he first heard of the murder on Friday night, but did not find out the details until the next day.

“I was shocked. You hear about these things happening, but you don’t expect them to happen to a policeman,” Roskies said. “I was mostly surprised that something like that would happen on a night when a lot of people would [be on the Loop].”

Despite his shock, Roskies said that he does not feel more in danger than he did before.

“When I moved into neighborhood two years ago, I heard about people being robbed at gunpoint nearby, so safety concerns have always been on my mind,” he said.

Roskies, like Fuchs, does not believe that the police can do much more to increase safety in the area.

“In terms of the Loop, I don’t know what else can be done,” Roskies said. “There are already a lot of police on the Loop and around that parking lot [behind Starbucks]. I don’t know what more they can do.”

Persons with information about the case should call the University City Police Department at 314-725-2211 or Crime Stoppers at 866-371-TIPS.

–With additional reporting by Puneet Kollipara