A grand jury declined to charge Spencer Scrivner in the fatal shooting of Erik Spencer in a Jefferson City parking lot after hearing evidence about an ongoing assault and a claim of self defense. Officials say Missouri’s strong self defense protections and consistent witness accounts made it unlikely the state could secure a conviction.
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JEFFERSON CITY, MO (5 minute read) — City and county officials in Jefferson City have closed the case surrounding the shooting death of Erik Spencer, saying a grand jury chose not to bring charges against the man who fired the fatal shot, Spencer Scrivner. The announcement came during a joint news conference at the Jefferson City Police Department with Police Chief Eric Wilde and Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson.
According to investigators, officers were dispatched around 7:52 in the evening on November 1 to reports of a disturbance and gunfire in the 3500 block of Missouri Boulevard. When police arrived they found Erik Spencer dead at the scene from a gunshot wound, and quickly took Scrivner into custody for questioning.
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Missouri Self Defense Law And The Parking Lot Shooting
Chief Wilde explained that detectives gathered video from several surveillance cameras in the area as well as one recording from a bystander. None of those recordings captured the actual shooting, which meant the case depended almost entirely on what people saw and heard in the moments leading up to the gunfire. Over the course of the investigation, officers spoke with 14 independent witnesses, and Wilde said their accounts lined up in key details.
Scrivner told investigators he acted after seeing what he believed was a domestic assault involving Erik Spencer and Spencer’s girlfriend. Witnesses reported that Spencer hit the woman in the face and body several times, knocked her to the ground, and prevented her from getting away. When she managed to get into her vehicle, witnesses said Spencer blocked her, clung to the car as it moved, and threw her phone across the lot when the vehicle stopped.
Several people in the parking lot said they yelled at Spencer to stop attacking the woman. According to Wilde, Spencer appeared focused only on her and did not respond to any of the bystanders who were shouting.
Scrivner and a friend were sitting in a vehicle when they noticed the disturbance escalate into physical violence. Wilde said Scrivner then got out, went to the trunk of his own vehicle, and retrieved a firearm. After a short exchange of words between the two men, witnesses reported seeing Spencer extend his hands slightly away from his body and then move his right hand toward his waistband. At that point Scrivner fired, striking Spencer at close range. Witnesses told investigators that Scrivner immediately went to Spencer’s side and appeared to attempt first aid.
Officials later confirmed that Spencer did not have a gun or knife on him when he was shot. Scrivner told police that Spencer had threatened to shoot him just before moving his hand toward his waistband, which Scrivner said caused him to believe there was an immediate deadly threat.
How Missouri Self Defense Standards Affected The Case
Prosecutor Locke Thompson explained that Missouri law gives strong protections to people who claim they acted in self defense or in defense of another person. Once a shooter raises that claim, the legal burden shifts to the state, which must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person did not reasonably believe deadly force was necessary to prevent death, serious physical injury, or certain serious crimes.
Thompson said that after reviewing the evidence and presenting it to a grand jury, the jurors declined to issue any charges, which effectively closed the case. He stressed that this legal outcome does not mean officials morally approve of everything that happened, but that they are required to follow the statutes passed by the state legislature and the constitutional standards for proof in criminal cases.
Authorities also confirmed that Scrivner is employed by the Missouri Department of Corrections and remains a state employee. That detail has added to public interest and debate around the shooting and the use of deadly force in public places.
Community Concerns And Takeaways For Armed Citizens
The killing sparked concern in the community, with some residents calling for more cameras in parking lots and shopping centers to give investigators better evidence in future cases. Chief Wilde noted that any broad camera requirement would need to be debated and approved by the city council.
For citizens who carry a concealed firearm, this case is a reminder of how quickly a situation can spiral from intervention to a fatal encounter. Stepping in to stop domestic violence may be morally understandable, but it also carries serious legal and personal risk. Self defense law generally focuses on what a reasonable person would believe in that exact moment, based on what they can see and hear, not on what turns out to be true later.
Anyone who chooses to carry a firearm should train not only in marksmanship but also in decision making, de-escalation, and understanding their state’s laws. Knowing when not to shoot is just as important as knowing how to shoot, and calling police as early as possible may prevent a situation from reaching the point where deadly force is even considered.
Safety Tip: If you carry a firearm for self defense, study your state’s self defense and defense of others laws in detail and seek quality training so that any decision you make in a crisis is grounded in both safety and a solid understanding of your legal responsibilities.
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