A policeman in the US has been charged with shooting dead a female colleague during an alleged game of Russian roulette.

St Louis officer Nathaniel Hendren, 29, is accused of involuntary manslaughter following the death of 24-year-old Katlyn Alix.

It is alleged the pair had been playing a hazardous game in which a revolver's cylinder was emptied, one bullet put back and then both took turns pointing the gun at each other and pulling the trigger.

The victim had been with two male officers at an apartment in the Missouri city when she was killed shortly before before 1am on Thursday.

We are deeply saddened to announce that the officer transported to the hospital has succumbed to her injuries. We ask that you keep the officer’s family and the entire SLMPD in your thoughts and prayers as we mourn the loss of our officer and friend. pic.twitter.com/NGcU4tpXiU — St. Louis, MO Police (@SLMPD) January 24, 2019

Details around the circumstances of the deadly shooting emerged in a probable cause statement from police.


It said the pair had been "playing with guns" when Hendren produced a revolver.

"The defendant emptied the cylinder of the revolver and then put one cartridge back into the cylinder," the statement said.

He allegedly spun the cylinder, pointed the gun away and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire.

The statement said Ms Alix then took the gun, pointed it at Hendren and pulled the trigger, but again it did not fire.

It went on to say that Hendren "took the gun back and pointed it at the victim (and) pulled the trigger causing the gun to discharge".

It added: "The victim was struck in the chest."

The other policeman at the scene told investigators he had warned the pair not to play with guns and reminded them both that they were officers.

He was about to leave when he heard the fatal shot, the statement said.

Both men drove the victim to hospital where she died.

Hendren has also been charged with armed criminal action.

The two men were both on duty at the time of the shooting.

Police Chief John Hayden declined to answer questions about why the officers had been at the apartment, which belonged to one of the men.

St Louis police said the charges were the result of a promise the police chief made to Ms Alix's family to conduct a "thorough and competent investigation".

The victim, a married military veteran, was not working at the time but met the men at the apartment.

Police immediately launched an internal investigation and placed both officers on paid leave.

Circuit attorney Kim Gardner has launched her own investigation, which will be carried out by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Ms Alix was a patrol officer who had graduated from the St Louis Police Academy in January 2017.

Chief Hayden said in a statement: "Officer Alix was an enthusiastic and energetic young woman with a bright future ahead of her."