By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Former Ladue, Missouri, police officer Julia Crews has agreed to a consent-to-discipline deal placing her law enforcement license on probation, resolving a 2024 complaint from the Missouri Department of Public Safety.
- The case stems from a 2019 incident in which Crews shot shoplifting suspect Ashley Fountain in the back while pursuing her on foot.
- Crews has maintained she intended to deploy her Taser and believed she had it in her hand when she fired her gun instead.
- Assault charges against Crews were dismissed in 2021 through an agreement with Fountain; Crews resigned from Ladue police following the shooting.
- Crews was hired by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in 2022 and works as a court bailiff; her probation will not affect that role. The terms and length of the probation are not public record.
LADUE, Mo. — Former Ladue police officer Julia Crews has agreed to have her law enforcement license placed on probation, seven years after she shot a fleeing shoplifting suspect in the back, according to First Alert 4.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety reached the consent-to-discipline agreement with Crews following a complaint it filed against her in 2024.
The case stems from a 2019 incident in which Crews responded to a reported shoplifting and spoke with the suspect, Ashley Fountain, for several minutes before Fountain fled on foot. As Crews pursued her, she drew her gun and shot Fountain in the back. Crews has maintained she intended to deploy her Taser and believed she had it in her hand when she fired.
Assault charges against Crews were dismissed in 2021 through an agreement with Fountain, according to the report. Crews resigned from the Ladue Police Department following the incident and was hired by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in 2022, where she now serves as a court bailiff — a role her probation will not affect.
“We support the Director’s decision and believe the discipline is appropriate considering all the circumstances. Julia continues to be a valued employee,” Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak said in a statement.
A Department of Public Safety spokesperson told First Alert 4 that the terms and length of the probation are not public record.