Howell County Special Weapons and Tactics Team deputies were called out shortly before 9:30 p.m. Monday, dispatched to assist the Willow Springs Police Department with a domestic disturbance reported on North Ferguson Street in Willow Springs.
The call came as the S.W.A.T. team was leaving a scheduled training session, said Public Information Officer Angela Conboy with the Howell County Sheriff’s Office in a statement emailed to media outlets.
Authorities were called to respond a domestic disturbance involving shots fired, Conboy explained. A woman and her 9-year-old child who were in the home reportedly fled in fear to an upstairs bedroom, believing the other party in the disturbance was armed and still inside.
S.W.A.T. Team deputies helped set up a perimeter within minutes of arrival on scene, said Conboy, and coordinated with Willow Springs police. S.W.A.T. deputies determined they could bring the woman and child out of an upstairs window.
The other party, a man who authorities identified as Shawn Michael Clark, was believed to be armed and dangerous. After removing the woman and child, part of the S.W.A.T. Team entered the home in attempt to locate Clark, while other team members searched the surrounding areas for the suspect, said Conboy. Authorities were not able to locate him at the time.
Clark was learned to have multiple active warrants for his arrest, one out of Ozark County for failure to appear on two nonmoving traffic violation charges, one from the City of West Plains for a traffic offense and a third for a probation/parole violation, said Conboy.
He is described as a 34-year-old white man with brown hair and blue eyes who stands 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds. While he has prominent facial tattoos, he has been known to wear makeup to cover them, say authorities.
Anyone who has seen Clark, is urged to contact law enforcement immediately and reminded that law enforcement considers him dangerous. To report information to the Howell County Sheriff’s Office, call 417-256-2544.
