On the afternoon of June 23, 2019, officers from the North County Police Cooperative in St. Louis, Missouri, faced a tragic loss when one of their own was killed in the line of duty. Michael Vincent Langsdorf, a 40-year-old Caucasian male, responded to a call at Clay's Wellston Food Market located on Page Avenue. The initial report indicated that a man was attempting to cash a fraudulent check at the business.
Officer Langsdorf, who had only been with the cooperative for three months but possessed 17 years of prior law enforcement experience, arrived at the scene to investigate the disturbance.
Upon entering the market, Officer Langsdorf confronted the suspect, later identified as Bonette Kymbrelle Meeks. A physical struggle ensued between the officer and Meeks inside the store. During the altercation, the suspect managed to gain the upper hand, striking the officer multiple times with a firearm he had pulled from his waistband. The assault left Officer Langsdorf dazed and on the ground. Witnesses and surveillance footage revealed that Meeks then stood over the fallen officer and fired a single shot into the back of his neck in what prosecutors later described as an execution-style killing. Officer Langsdorf was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Law enforcement quickly apprehended Bonette Meeks, who fled the scene but was captured nearby shortly after the shooting. He was found in possession of the weapon believed to be used in the murder. During the subsequent investigation, it was discovered that Meeks had a significant criminal history in North Carolina. Authorities also arrested a second suspect, Kawyn Smith, in connection with the incident. Smith was accused of providing the fraudulent checks to Meeks and driving him to the store, knowing that Meeks intended to cash them illegally.
Legal proceedings against Bonette Meeks culminated in a trial where a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, and resisting arrest. Although he had initially been charged with first-degree murder, the jury convicted him on the lesser charge in June 2022. In September of that same year, a judge sentenced Meeks to life in prison plus an additional 40 years. Kawyn Smith also faced legal consequences, being charged with second-degree murder under the felony murder rule, which allows for a murder charge if a death occurs during the commission of a felony.
