Arnold officer in critical condition after being shot by handcuffed suspect

The Arnold, Missouri police officer shot by a handcuffed suspect Tuesday was in critical but stable condition Wednesday, with a long road to recovery, according to police.

Officer Ryan O’Connor, 44, was shot in the back of the head while sitting in a police vehicle with a handcuffed burglary suspect in the back. Arnold police said the suspect, Chad Klahs, had been searched, but he had a second gun they failed to find.

Klahs died of a gunshot to the head that police said may have been self-inflicted.

The St. Louis County Police Department issued a release Wednesday afternoon confirming that O’Connor has “a long road to recovery,” and his condition could change by the hour.

The Arnold Police Department posted a thank-you message on its Facebook page, and asked the public to continue to hold O’Connor and his family in their thoughts and prayers.

A GoFundMe page for O’Connor’s family has been set up by Shield of Hope, a certified St. Louis nonprofit that will use donations to assist the family with medical expenses. The fundraiser had raised $14,735 as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, with a goal of $50,000, and was included in the police department statement.

The statement also said in-person donations can be sent to Fortune Bank, 3494 Jeffco Blvd., Arnold, MO 63010. For more information on that account, call the bank at 636-464-9003.

St. Louis County police said these are the only two approved fundraisers for the O’Connor family.

This story was originally published December 6, 2017 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Arnold officer in critical condition after being shot by handcuffed suspect."