ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A former police officer pleaded guilty to criminal charges Friday following an October 2023 trunk-or-treat disturbance during which shots were fired in the air.
Matthew McCulloch is a former St. Louis County police officer and the son of former St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch.
On Friday, Matthew McCulloch pleaded guilty to six counts of endangering the welfare of a child, one count of making a terrorist threat, and one count of unlawful use of a weapon.
According to a probable cause statement obtained by FOX 2, hundreds of children and adults attended the October 2023 trunk-or-treat event. McCulloch aggressively approached attendees and made statements like “you are all going to die” before one witness shoved him.
The probable cause statement states that after McCulloch fell to the ground, he pulled out a handgun and badge, began shooting in an upward direction, and shouted that attendees would die. At some point, several witnesses tackled McCulloch, authorities seized the weapon, and he was taken into custody.
Chris King, a spokesperson for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, sent FOX 2 the following statement after the guilty plea:
“This guilty plea was negotiated by the office’s Conviction and Incident Review Unit, an independent unit in the office formed by Wesley Bell that reports directly to the prosecuting attorney. It is a blind plea, with sentencing left to the discretion of the court. The court has heard our argument that some prison time would be an appropriate sentence. We thank the witnesses who came forward in this case, as we would not have been able to prosecute this case without their cooperation. We also thank the Kirkwood Police Department for their thorough investigation. We hope that the defendant taking responsibility for his actions brings some closure to the many people impacted by his actions.”
Prosecutors have recommended a three-year prison sentence as part of McCulloch’s guilty plea. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 14.