ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Ryan Woods, 40, of the 200 block of Tapestry Drive in St. Louis, has been identified as the person who died after being struck by officer gunfire during a Sept. 15 welfare check at his residence, St. Louis County police said in a Sept. 17, 2026, update.
Detectives with the St. Louis County Police Department Bureau of Crimes Against Persons are investigating the officer-involved shooting, which occurred in the 200 block of Tapestry Drive in St. Louis, 63129.
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Officers from the South County Precinct responded at 2:14 p.m. Tuesday to a call for service for a welfare check. Police said that when officers arrived, a subject fired shots from inside the residence.
Officers established containment and requested the St. Louis County Police Tactical Operations Unit and a crisis negotiator, police said. While officers remained on scene, the subject fired numerous rounds from inside the residence at adjacent homes and in the direction of police officers.
Police said Tactical Operations Unit officers made several attempts to contact the subject and gave multiple verbal commands by loudspeaker for him to exit the residence. The suspect continued to fire his weapon.
During the incident, a St. Louis County Police Tactical Operations Unit officer fired his weapon into the residence, police said. After numerous attempts to make contact with the subject, Tactical Operations Unit officers breached the door and entered the residence. Inside, they located Woods suffering from at least one gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police previously said it was unknown whether the injuries suffered by the subject were the result of police gunfire or a self-inflicted injury. In the Sept. 17 update, police said further investigation determined that the officer’s gunfire struck the suspect, resulting in his death.
The St. Louis County police officer involved is 44 and has 18 years of law enforcement experience, police said.
No officers were physically injured during the incident.
Police said the investigation remains active and that preliminary details could change. Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak with investigators.
