Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting in Sullivan: New Details Released

After months of delay the Sullivan Independent News has obtained full documentation related to the fatal officer-involved shooting of Garrett Ryan, 30, of Sullivan, which occurred on August 10, 2024, along westbound Interstate near the 225-mile marker. 

The information was acquired through Missouri Sunshine Law requests filed with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Sullivan Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office,and Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Although the case is closed and the prosecutor has formally declined to file charges, the newly released materials—comprising hundreds of pages of reports, officer statements, body camera footage, patrol car video, dispatch logs, autopsy results, and crime scene analysis—paint a more detailed picture of what transpired that evening.

As first reported in the Independent News on August 14, 2024, Franklin County Sheriff Steve Pelton stated that on August 10 at 7:39 p.m., Sullivan Police dispatch requested assistance for a male walking eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-44 near mile marker 225.5. Officers responded and stopped traffic to prevent the man from being struck.

When they approached the subject—later identified as Garrett Ryan—he reportedly advanced toward officers with a knife in hand. Despite multiple verbal commands to drop the weapon, Ryan continued to approach in an aggressive manner. Officers from both Sullivan Police and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office ultimately discharged their weapons.

Ryan was struck and immediately received medical attention at the scene. He was transported to Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan, where he was later pronounced dead.

According to reports and video footage, Officer Brandon McCulloch first spotted Ryan walking in the median near the 225.8 mile marker. Ryan appeared agitated and shouted at the officer to “f--- off.”

Officers McCulloch, Nathan Pinter, and Sgt. Matthew Hines met to discuss how to handle the situation, observing Ryan cross the highway erratically. Concerned for public safety, they decided to intervene more directly. Officer McCulloch and a Franklin County deputy approached from I-44, while Officers Pinter and Hines maneuvered via the North Service Road.

Traffic was stopped on I-44 to protect both Ryan and motorists. Video shows that by 7:54 p.m., McCulloch had pulled into the passing lane and was joined by Deputy Doug Thomas.

According to McCulloch’s sworn statement, “Right as I pulled up, it looked like [Ryan] pulled something out of a sheath. I realized what it was. As I got out of my car, my sergeant got on the radio and yelled, ‘He has a knife.’”

Body camera footage shows officers pleading with Ryan more than 20 times to drop the knife, with statements such as “We can talk about this” and “We don’t need to do this.”

Despite their efforts, Ryan continued moving toward officers with the knife in hand, ignoring commands and saying, “Do it” and “No.” At approximately 7:55 p.m., when Ryan reared back with the knife in a threatening manner, both Officer McCulloch and Sgt. Thomas fired their weapons.

After Ryan fell face-down on the pavement still clutching the knife, officers used a Taser to disarm him and began CPR. Sullivan Fire Department and Missouri Baptist Ambulance personnel arrived by 8:00 p.m. and continued life-saving efforts. Ryan was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

An autopsy conducted on August 11 by Dr. Gersham Norfleet at the St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded Ryan died from gunshot wounds to the abdomen and chest. Toxicology results were positive for multiple substances: THC (marijuana), MET (methamphetamine), MDMA (ecstasy), and AMP (amphetamine).

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control conducted the investigation and submitted its findings to Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Becker.

In a letter dated November 15, 2024, Becker concluded that the use of deadly force was justified under Missouri Revised Statutes Sections 563.031 and 563.046.

Becker cited several key observations from the evidence:

• Officers had prior knowledge that Ryan was exhibiting suicidal behavior, such as walking into traffic.
• Ryan was clearly armed with a knife.
• He refused repeated, clear commands to drop the weapon.
• Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation by backing away.
• The presence of dozens of stopped vehicles limited how far officers could safely retreat.
• Traffic in the opposite lanes made it unsafe for officers to delay action indefinitely.

Becker concluded, “As my finding is that the deadly force utilized by Officer McCulloch and Sgt. Thomas was justified in this matter, no criminal prosecution is being considered.”