Police charge 2nd man in killing of Missouri police officer

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Prosecutors say a second man has been charged in the shooting death of a Missouri police officer.

St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell’s announcement of the charge Tuesday came a day after the funeral for North St. Louis County Cooperative Officer Michael Langsdorf.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that 58-year-old Kawynn Smith was charged with second-degree murder in Langsdorf’s death. Smith has a murder conviction from 1998.

It wasn’t immediately clear if he has an attorney to comment on his behalf.

Langsdorf was shot on June 23 while answering a bad check call at a market in the St. Louis County town of Wellston, Missouri.

Police say Smith gave Bonette Meeks Jr. fraudulent checks to cash while Smith waited in a car outside.

Meeks has been charged with first-degree murder. Police say Meeks got into a struggle with the officer and then shot him.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com