In a truly bizarre arrest, St. Louis police officer Nathaniel Hendren, 29, has been charged with allegedly shooting fellow officer, Katlyn Alix (left), 24, in a game of Russian Roulette. The third officer was involved in the bizarre crime.
Hendren was on duty with the third officer but were in Alix’s apartment during their shift at 1 am. It was Hendren who allegedly removed all the bullets from the gun and put a single round back. He then spun the cylinder and pointed it away and pulled the trigger. Alix then reportedly took the gun, pointed it at Hendren and pulled the trigger. The gun did not fire either time.
Hendren’s partner insisted that he said that they should not be playing with guns and was leaving when he heard the fatal shot by Hendren.
So many questions remain unanswered about why they would play such a game and whether they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. There is also the question of why the two officers were in the apartment on duty or why the third officer could not act to stop the game.
Hendren reportedly head-butted the back windshield of a police SUV parked nearby and broke the windshield — suffering injuries requiring hospitalization.
What we know is that Alix was struck in the chest and the other two officers called for medical assistance.
The initial investigation described the incident as a mishandling of a gun and Police Commissioner John W. Hayden Jr. called it an “accidental discharge of the weapon.” I am not sure Russian Roulette qualifies as an accidental discharge. The discharge is the focus of the game. Moreover, the chance of surviving is 83 percent, but there is still a 17 percent likelihood of ending with the fatal cartridge.
Hendren is now charged with involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action.