A special prosecutor has been assigned to an officer-involved shooting incident that resulted in the death of a 25-year-old woman in Pettis County on June 13.

A release from Pettis County Prosecuting Attorney Phillip Sawyer says in the late afternoon of July 30, the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) supplied all reports currently within its control and the completion of its investigation into the fatal shooting of Hannah Fizer to his office.

Sawyer says: “Since that time, I have evaluated those reports and my obligations to this community. Pettis County and families of those involved deserve the confidence to know that this matter was handled independently and competently by an individual with no ties to the jurisdiction that I serve. In the interest of protecting the ethics and integrity of the investigation, I have requested the court appoint independent counsel to review this matter for a determination on the use of force and prosecution, if necessary, based on that determination.”

Sawyer’s release continues that on August 4, “Stephen Sokoloff, General Counsel for the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services, was appointed to this matter and will hereafter act as the Prosecuting Attorney to its conclusion. Upon receiving this appointment, my office promptly transferred the investigation and all of its contents. The time line for a determination or further comment on this matter is unclear as the investigation contains many parts, and a complete review likely will take some time.”

The original report says Fizer was pulled over for speeding and Careless and Imprudent Driving and she had threatened the Pettis County deputy during the traffic stop before she was shot.

After a search warrant was obtained and executed on the vehicle, it was discovered that there was no weapon located inside.

No dashboard nor body-camera video was available of the incident. However, the highway patrol was looking into obtaining surveillance video from surrounding businesses as part of the investigation.