California man, shot by Callaway County deputy, placed on probation

A Callaway County Sheriff's Department patrol car is parked on a county road in this Aug. 28, 2014 file photo.
A Callaway County Sheriff's Department patrol car is parked on a county road in this Aug. 28, 2014 file photo.

A California man charged in connection with a November 2015 shooting in Callaway County involving a sheriff's deputy from that county pleaded guilty to charges in that case and was placed on five years supervised probation.

Joshua Huddleston, 29, pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon motivated by discrimination and unlawful use of a weapon while intoxicated.

He had faced additional charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action, but they were dismissed.

The Callaway County Sheriff's Office requested the Missouri Highway Patrol to conduct the investigation with the deputy-involved shooting of Huddleston.

A Missouri Highway Patrol probable cause statement shows while at a private gathering of about 30-40 people, at 1806 Missouri 94 in Jefferson City, Huddleston was involved in a verbal altercation while drunk.

This incident occurred when Huddleston began accusing an unidentified black male of making sexual comments toward his wife.

Huddleston produced a semi-automatic .40 caliber pistol and began making racial slurs directed at the unidentified black males in a threatening manner.

A witness from St. Louis attempted to de-escalate the situation verbally, by asking Huddleston to holster his firearm, but Huddlston aimed his pistol at the man's head and then reached down with his free hand and disarmed the man, who was carrying a pistol beneath his shirt.

After disarming the man, Huddleston trained both firearms at the man's head and verbally threatened to kill the man.

Another witness said he tried to approach Huddleston from behind and attempted physically to restrain him, resulting in Huddleston falling to the ground and losing control of one of the guns.

That's when all those inside the building fled on foot.

While the witnesses were fleeing, Huddleston regained his footing, pointed his gun in the direction of the witnesses and fired one round.

After officers arrived at the scene, Huddleston approached them with a gun in a threatening manner. That's when a sheriff's deputy shot Huddleston.