ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - The St. Louis County Police Department has released video from a fatal officer-involved shooting that happened on March 21, 2025.
According to St. Louis County police, two uniformed officers were investigating a report of harassment and tampering with the motor vehicle in the 1000 block of Hawkins Bend Drive around 10:30 a.m. when they contacted the suspect, Aleksandr Lanis, 38.
Police said the officers told Lanis he was under arrest and asked him numerous times to step out of his home. Authorities said Lanis physically resisted arrest and displayed a handgun. A struggle then took place inside the home, with officers wrestling Lanis to the ground while fighting to get the handgun from him.
One of the officers deployed a taser, but Lanis continued to struggle. Police said both officers fired their guns, hitting Lanis.
One of the officers involved was 30 years old with eight years of law enforcement experience. The other officer was 22 years old with one year of law enforcement experience.
After the video was released, the Smith family, the in-laws of Lanis, released the following statement:
“Our family was able to view the body camera footage of the tragic events that unfolded that day. We were deeply saddened by the choices Aleksander made in his final moments, and we are grateful to the officers who gave him every opportunity to choose a different outcome. We have learned this is often how untreated mental illness ends, and we encourage anyone struggling to listen to their loved ones and seek the help they need. Our hearts and energy are now focused on raising the child left behind from this tragedy.”