Cop who shot fellow officer dead was drinking on duty, internal report alleges

St. Louis officer accused of killing fellow cop during apparent game of Russian roulette

St. Louis -- In an internal police misconduct report obtained by CBS St. Louis affilitate KMOV-TV, a police lieutenant alleges both Officer Nathaniel Hendren and his partner "consumed alcoholic beverages" while on duty the night Officer Katlyn Alix was shot and killed by Hendren during a game of Russian roulette

Lieutenant William Brown filed the complaint at 1:30 a.m. on January 24, alleging "Conduct Unbecoming an Officer," and suggesting both men also violated a regulation that says, "No employee shall report for duty or remain on duty with an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater. Moreover, no employee shall consume alcohol while on duty and/or engaged in City business."

In a news conference Thursday, Police Chief John Hayden said, "The circumstances around the shooting were much more reckless and dangerous than what I had originally understood."

Hendren's partner's lawyer says his client had a few sips of beer at Hendren's home but poured out the rest down the sink.

Police say Alix, Hendren and his partner met at Hendren's apartment while Hendren and his partner were on-duty and Alix was off-duty.

Nathaniel Hendren, the St. Louis police officer accused of shooting and killing an off-duty officer in a Russian roulette-game, bonded out Thu., Jan. 31, 2019, and was seen leaving jail in this image provided by CBS affiliate KMOV-TV. KMOV-TV

The apartment is three miles outside the district to which Hendren and his partner were assigned. 

Hendren reportedly produced a revolver, emptied the cylinder and then put one bullet cartridge back in the cylinder.

Hendren then spun the cylinder, pointed the gun away and pulled the trigger but it didn't fire.

Alix then took the gun and pointed it at Hendren and pulled the trigger but the gun again didn't fire.

Hendren then took the gun back from Alix and pulled the trigger, shooting Alix in the chest, police say. She later died at a hospital.

Katlyn Alix in undated photo CBS News

Hendren, charged with manslaughter, made bail Thursday after a judge raised his bond from $50,000 to $100,000. Only 10 percent of that amount was needed to make bail.

Hendren is under house arrest and can't have access to firearms but it was unclear if he's confined to his home,  with nearby relatives or somewhere else.

Hayden said effective immediately, supervisors and commanders will be present at all roll calls to reinforce with officers that they must stay in their assigned districts.

Watch commanders will also confirm the location of their officers every hour using radios and GPS tracking information.

f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.