Shooting suspect arrested in Ripley County

One of two suspects wanted in a weekend shooting in Poplar Bluff is in custody. Michael Melvin, 38, of Poplar Bluff was arrested before dawn Thursday by Ripley County law enforcement.

The second suspect Michael Fry, 34, of Poplar Bluff is still at large. Poplar Bluff Police Chief Danny Whiteley warns, “Fry is considered armed and dangerous.”

Ripley County Sheriff Mike Barton said at 3 a.m. Thursday his office and the Doniphan Police Department received information one of the shooting suspects was at a residence in Ripley County on Highway 21 in the north end of the county.

“In the last few days Chief Danny Whiteley had been staying in contact with me and updating me with information,” said Sheriff Barton.

When Sheriff Barton received information one of the suspects was in the county, he, along with Sgt. Jesse Drum, Chief Deputy Charlie Mays, who is the county’s canine officer, and Doniphan Police Sgt. Mark Capps responded to the residence.

“Upon entering the residence we found a male suspect and a female suspect asleep in a bedroom,” Sheriff Barton said. “Of course it was Michael Melvin. I have had past dealings with him in Ripley County.”

The female was Lashawn Phillips, 36, of the 100 block of Dorothy Lane, Poplar Bluff.

“After we took both into custody it was confirmed both had warrants out of the Butler County Sheriff’s Department,” Sheriff Barton said, “Both subjects were transported to the county line and turned over to a Butler County Deputy and a Poplar Bluff Police Detective.

“We also found a small amount of methamphetamines, marijuana and methamphetamine paraphernalia — a glass pipe — was found in the same area. These items were taken into custody,” Sheriff Barton said.

Outside the residence was a Dodge Durango reported stolen out of Butler County which Sheriff Barton impounded.

Chief Whiteley said, “I want to personally thank Sheriff Mike Barton and his officers for helping us bring this person into custody without anyone in this community and law enforcement getting hurt. It is just another example of the great working relationship we have in Southeast Missouri with all of our law enforcement partners.”

The shooting occurred around 5 p.m. Saturday, after a Ford Explorer, containing the suspects, and another vehicle left the Villa on Highway 53, according to earlier reports. It is believed to be the result of an incident that started at the Villa and escalated.

Shots were fired from the Ford Explorer as the two vehicles traveled west in the 1400 section of Highway 53.

A 27-year-old male in a Nissan Quest van was shot in the arm and later treated at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. The man and two other people in the van, a 32-year-old female and a 51-year-old male, are all of Poplar Bluff. No one else was injured but the van was struck several times. Police believe a .9-mm and a .22-caliber weapon were used.