Helicopter and Drones Help Find Winfield Man Accused of Threatening to Kill Two People
WINFIELD, Mo. — Two people were still inside their vehicle when Zachariah Lee Hemmer began punching and kicking it, breaking the windshield and damaging a side mirror. They said he also threatened to kill them.
What began as a trip to drop off duck-hunting equipment became a confrontation that left one victim afraid to go home—and a search that sent deputies into dense woods with help from drones and a thermal-imaging helicopter.
When officers first located Hemmer sitting in his pickup among the trees, they told him he was under arrest.
“No,” he replied.
Zachariah Hemmer, Winfield, Mo.
CHARGES
First-degree harassment — two Class E felony counts
Fourth-degree domestic assault — two Class A misdemeanor counts
Resisting or interfering with arrest for a felony — Class E felony
Deputies responding to the Oct. 30 disturbance found a damaged vehicle and an occupant visibly shaken by what had happened.
The two occupants described arriving at a hunting spot and encountering Hemmer near a wooded area. One said Hemmer was destroying a trailer. After being told to stop, he turned on their vehicle.
The force of the blows damaged the driver’s-side mirror and broke the windshield. A deputy photographed the damage, including a shoe print on the hood.
But the victim’s concerns went beyond the broken glass.
He told deputies that Hemmer had threatened to kill both occupants and had made similar threats before. He pleaded for psychiatric intervention before those threats became action, saying he needed to arrange somewhere safe for his family to stay.
A witness who arrived later also said he was afraid to return home. He described recent aggression and threats against family members and warned that Hemmer had said he would fight law enforcement.
Deputies were discussing how to locate Hemmer when a white Chevrolet pickup matching his vehicle passed them.
Emergency lights and a siren did not stop it. The pickup continued toward Hemmer’s residence, then left the roadway and entered a wooded area too hazardous for patrol vehicles to follow safely.
Deputies continued on foot while others established a perimeter. A drone helped locate the truck deeper in the woods, with Hemmer still behind the wheel.
After refusing arrest, Hemmer would not get out or answer questions about the earlier confrontation. Eventually, he stopped communicating with officers.
As deputies worked on a plan to approach the pickup safely, Hemmer turned on its lights and drove away.
The truck followed an unimproved trail out to a paved highway, where deputies again tried to stop it. Hemmer continued toward his residence, passed officers ordering him to stop and drove back into the woods.
Aerial crews tracked the pickup into a field on an adjacent property. Hemmer then left the truck and disappeared into the trees on foot.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Air 2 helicopter used thermal-imaging equipment to help search through the dense cover. Deputies held the perimeter, and additional personnel responded with another drone.
At approximately 6:54 p.m., the helicopter crew reported locating Hemmer near the highway. Officers reported seeing him around 7:21 p.m., but he fled again as they gave repeated commands to surrender.
He was eventually detained and taken into custody.
The court filing describes victims and a witness afraid to return home because they believed Hemmer would harm them. It also references three previous domestic-assault reports involving him at his residence; those references do not establish convictions.
Judge Michael R. Jacobs issued the warrant Nov. 2, setting the $50,000 cash-only bond and requiring GPS monitoring before any release.
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