Fear of Honkies leads to St. Louis-area man's acquittal for shooting Jasper County deputy

A McDonald County jury acquitted a Florissant man of assault and armed criminal action in connection with the March 1, 2017, shooting of a Jasper County deputy following a two-day trial.

The jury deliberations took less than two hours, according to the Joplin Globe.

E. F. Fitchpatrick, 45, testified that he shot Nolan Murray, who was executing a search warrant, at the Econo Lodge on Range Line, thinking the deputy was coming to rob him.

During his opening statement, Fitchpatrick's attorney, Bill Fleischaker, said his client believed the Joplin Honkies were coming to take his drugs and cash.