Wright County Record logo and header

Man pleads guilty in Mansfield 2018 highway trooper shooting

Posted

It’s been nearly four years since Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Robert D. Crewse was shot twice by a suspect after investigating a suspicious vehicle near Mansfield.

The suspect arrested in the shooting, 35-year-old Colby M. Rey, of Orlando, Fla., officially entered a guilty plea on Feb. 8 for an incident that took place the morning of July 18, 2018.

He received multiple counts of both first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon as well as resisting or interfering with a felony arrest along with one charge of armed criminal action.

In a Mansfield Mirror article from 2018, Trooper Crewse had responded to Clouse Road, north of Mansfield, after a report of a suspicious vehicle.

He arrived and located a single person in the vehicle and was provided a fictitious name by the individual.

A registration check revealed the license plates were registered to a different vehicle. When Rey was asked to exit the vehicle, he became agitated and refused to comply.

A second trooper and a Mansfield police officer arrived on the scene to assist.

At that time, Rey, in the vehicle, produced a hand gun and began firing at the officers.

The officers returned fire, and the suspect was hit several times.

Trooper Crewse was later treated at a local hospital for his gunshot wounds and his he fortunately did not have life threatening injuries resulting from the incident

Rey’s official sentencing has been set for May 16.