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St. Louis fire crews devastated after K-9 died in tragic accident

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ST. LOUIS – FOX 2 has uncovered new details about the tragedy at the troubled, former Famous Barr building in downtown St. Louis, that took the life of a beloved K9 member of the St. Louis Fire Department: Balko, a dog trained to sniff out human remains.

We’ve learned more about why it happened and why Balko’s loss is so hard to take.On Friday night, St. Louis police got a tip about a possible beating death inside the building, according to police sources.

Balko and his fire department handler were called to assist homicide investigators in the search for a victim. Balko reportedly “hit” on a scent and, in an instant, fell about 90 feet through an unsecured fifth-floor window.

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“We just can’t snap our fingers and replace Balko or the ability, what Balko brought to our team,” Capt. Garon Mosby, St. Louis Fire Department, said. “It’s a huge loss, a huge loss in our capabilities and just as you would lose a family member.”

The training and preparation costs for a cadaver dog like Balko typically cost tens of thousands of dollars.

FOX 2 has shown you repeated evidence in recent months of people looting and even living in the 110-year-old building, also known as the Railway Exchanged Building, vacated by Macy’s nearly a decade ago and condemned for occupancy by the City of St. Louis in January.

Thieves continue to gut the place of copping wiring and various pieces of metal to sell as scrap. There have been repeated fires in the building, as well.

Balko had been with the fire department about 3½ years, according to Capt. Mosby, and was credited with finding nine bodies from fire scenes, to the aftermath of the tornado that killed six people at an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois.

He also brought smiles to boy from Northern Ireland in who received life-changing surgeries at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in June 2022.

“We put (the boy) next to Balko and Balko was just the sweetest thing ever,” Mosby said. “That was his demeanor: very laid back, just one of the guys, if you will.”

Mosby said Balko’s handler at the fire department is “devastated.” Balko lived with that firefighter and his family.

A private security firm now patrols the building and reports the number of people getting inside has dropped dramatically.

Police did not find a body there, Friday night.

The building’s owner, Hudson Holdings of Delray Beach, Florida, is being sued for more than $7 million for allegedly defaulting on a loan used to purchase the building in 2017.

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Man attacks Jeff Co. deputy with screwdriver during attempted arrest

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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – Two people are behind bars after a man reportedly attacked a Jefferson County deputy with a screwdriver during an attempted arrest over the weekend.

Prosecutors have charged Nicholas Davis, 47, and Amanda Davis, 45, of Dittmer, Missouri, with felonies in the investigation.

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The alleged attack followed a traffic stop of a driver in the 9500 block of Jones Creek Road on July 7, though the driver was not Nicholas or Amanda.

According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Nicholas reportedly came out of his nearby home, yelled at a deputy and started approaching him while holding a screwdriver. The deputy initially ordered Nicholas to back away, then used pepper spray.

Per court documents, the deputy attempted to arrest Nicholas, who then struck him in the chest with the screwdriver. Amanda reportedly approached the deputy and pulled him away from Nicholas before both ran inside their home.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says the situation prompted an hours-long standoff involving negotiators, a SWAT team and a K-9 deputy. The situation led to Nicholas refusing warnings and being bitten by a K-9.

Nicholas and Amanda are both jailed in the Jefferson County Jail without bond. Nicholas is charged with first-degree assault on a special victim and armed criminal action. Amanda is charged with resisting/interfering with arrest.

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St. Louis Public Schools superintendent to be sworn in

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ST. LOUIS — The new St. Louis schools superintendent will be officially sworn into office today. Dr. Keisha Scarlett took over the job in July after the retirement of Dr. Kelvin Adams. She was assistant superintendent in the Seattle Public School District. The installation ceremony is at 6:15 p.m. before the regular school board meeting.

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Gas tanker crashes into St. Louis Metro transit center

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ST. LOUIS — A gasoline tanker truck crashed into a Metro transit center near Riverview and Hall Streets early Tuesday morning and knocked over a power pole. The pole is leaning on other power lines. Police have the area blocked off here because there is a downed power line. Ameren and Metro crews are also on the scene.

The incident happened around 12:30 a.m. It’s still unclear exactly what caused the crash, but we do that there was a second vehicle somehow involved. The airbags on that second vehicle did deploy.

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Police at the scene have not been able to give us a lot of details. Metro officials tell FOX 2 that the transit center here is operating this morning for passengers and buses. Access to certain areas will be limited here as clean up unfolds.

A Metro spokesperson says half of the station isn’t being used right now because of safety issues. It isn’t impacting overall bus operations, everything is just happening on the other side of transit center.

The extent of the damage to the actual transit center is still unclear, but I’m told it does not appear to be extreme. A Metro spokesperson tells me there were no injuries to any metro workers or passengers. The tanker driver also was not injured.

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