The Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the death of Clara Braxton from Independence County, Arkansas after her body was found following an officer-involved shooting on December 8, 2024, in Festus, Missouri.
The incident began around 11 a.m. when the Festus Police Department responded to an active shooter report at a White Castle restaurant. The suspect, Jarrett W. Cousins, from Bradford, Arkansas, fled the scene in a Dodge Ram truck.
Police from Festus and Crystal City pursued him until the vehicle hit a concrete median near a shopping center on Truman Boulevard in Crystal City. Cousins, wearing body armor and carrying several firearms, exited the vehicle and fired at officers, who then returned fire, hitting him. He was taken to a Missouri hospital and is in critical but stable condition.
Clara Braxton was found deceased in the front passenger seat of Cousins’ vehicle. No officers were injured.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting and has charged Cousins with First-Degree Assault or Attempt and Armed Criminal Action. He is held without bond.
Braxton’s body was sent to the Missouri Crime Lab, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has asked for help from the Arkansas State Police in investigating her death, believed to have occurred in Arkansas.
