Queen sentenced to 40 years for 2019 officer-shooting

A Missouri man who led area police on a multi-county pursuit and fired shots at officers has been sentenced to serve 40 years in prison.

Jared Queen, 42, of St. Clair, MO, appeared in Washington County Court Tuesday morning.

In August, a jury deliberated for 20 minutes before finding Queen guilty of Class X felony aggravated discharge of a firearm at a police officer, a Class 3 felony of possession of a weapon by a felon and a Class 4 felony aggravated fleeing of police.

Queen was sentenced to 40 years for aggravated discharge of a firearm at a police officer, 10 years for felony possession of a weapon by a felon and 6 years for the aggravated fleeing of a police officer charge.

All sentences are to run concurrently. Queen will also be credited for 869 days time served.

According to online court records, a request to continue the sentencing hearing was denied by Judge Gross. Queen had reportedly received an injury while he was in the Washington County Jail and requested more medical care. The sentencing was first scheduled to occur on Oct. 19 but was pushed back to November.

Queen was arrested in July 2019 after he and then 42-year-old Maria Moore, also of Missouri, allegedly took Centralia and Wamac authorities on a multi-county pursuit that began when authorities tried to stop them for a traffic violation in Centralia. The chase continued through Washington County, and Queen reportedly then fired a rifle at the officers through the driver’s side door, while Moore, who was a passenger, allegedly fired from the vehicle’s sunroof.

Queen had been originally charged with Class X attempted murder but the charge was amended, according to court records.

Moore is scheduled for a status hearing at 2 p.m. on Nov. 16. Her jury trial is scheduled for Jan. 18.