McCulloch enters not guilty plea for shooting in Kirkwood

CLAYTON, Mo. — A St. Louis County police officer agreed Tuesday in court filings that he is in “urgent need of a mental health evaluation and treatment,” following allegations that he fired at least a dozen rounds in the air during a children’s Halloween event in Kirkwood.

Matthew McCulloch’s attorney Brian Millikan entered a not guilty plea for the 39-year-old officer in court Tuesday during an arraignment. 

A judge read all 11 of the charges against McCulloch, which include five counts of armed criminal action, four counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and one count each of unlawful use of a weapon and first-degree terrorist threat. 

McCulloch is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond at the St. Louis County Justice Center in Clayton, where he has been since his arrest Sunday at the Trunk-or-Treat event in Kirkwood.

A bond hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 24, where his attorney will have a chance to tell the court why his client’s bail should be reduced.

In his motion seeking to reduce McCulloch’s bond, Millikan wrote a condition of his client’s bail is to have a mental health evaluation completed. Millikan also noted McCulloch has no criminal history, no history of violence toward others and “with proper treatment, the Court can be assured he will pose no threat to the victims or the community at large,” according to the filing.

Millikan also wrote his client is not a flight risk.

Police have not released a possible motive for the incident, saying only that McCulloch allegedly yelled “you’re all going to die,” to the hundreds of people and children who were at the event at North Kirkwood Middle School.

Moments before shots were fired, McCulloch threatened a woman whose husband then shoved him to the ground, according to court documents.

McCulloch then stood up, lifted his shirt exposing his gun and badge before pointing it in the air and firing about a dozen shots, according to the documents.

Witness video obtained by 5 On Your Side showed McCulloch being led away by police officers.

Kirkwood police confirm McCulloch was off duty at the time of the incident and was attending the event with his family.

Court records show McCulloch got divorced earlier this year and has a custody agreement with his ex-wife.

McCulloch is the son of former St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert “Bob” McCulloch. His uncle, Joe McCulloch, is the prosecutor in St. Charles County.

None of his family members attended Tuesday’s arraignment, but the family released a statement Monday stating it was praying for those who are now coping with the mental trauma of the event.

Matthew McCulloch has been with the St. Louis County Police Department since 2017 and has been suspended without pay since Monday.