Clara Braxton dies in fatal Arkansas-Missouri incident involving officer-involved shooting
Fatal Arkansas-Missouri incident death of Clara Braxton – Obituary
Clara Braxton, 45, of Independence County, Arkansas, was found deceased under tragic circumstances following an officer-involved shooting in Missouri.
The incident began in Festus, a St. Louis suburb, where police responded to reports of an active shooter at a restaurant on Sunday. The suspect, Jarrett W. Cousins, 40, of Bradford, Arkansas, fled the scene in a Dodge Ram truck. After a police pursuit, the truck crashed into a concrete median near a shopping center.
Cousins exited the vehicle armed and wearing body armor. He exchanged gunfire with police and was struck before being transported to a hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition. No officers were injured in the exchange.
Braxton’s body was discovered in the passenger seat of Cousins’ truck. Authorities have yet to determine how she died, and her remains have been sent to the Missouri Crime Lab for further examination.
Cousins has been charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action and is being held without bond. The Arkansas State Police continue to investigate Braxton’s death, with findings to be reviewed by the prosecutor in Independence County.
