Ozark Chief: Man kills self as police serve child porn warrant

Ozark Police Chief Tim Clothier said a man apparently killed himself Monday morning as officers were trying to arrest him on suspicion of distributing child pornography.

Clothier said police responded to an apartment complex on the 3200 block of North 21st Street at about 7 a.m. to serve a federal arrest warrant when they ran into some issues.

Clothier said the suspect looked out the window and made eye contact with officers and then disappeared out of eyesight.

A short time later, the man's girlfriend came out of the apartment and told officers the man had asked her to leave, Clothier said.

Police then heard a single gunshot, according to Clothier.

Clothier said officers evacuated the nearby apartments and he asked the Springfield Police Department's Emergency Response Team to respond and clear the suspect's apartment.

Clothier said when officers entered the apartment they found the suspect dead of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Clothier said police are not releasing the man's name pending notification of next of kin.