By Joel Currier
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis police officer accused of fatally shooting a fellow officer in January pleaded not guilty Monday to the charges against him.
Nathaniel Hendren, 29, appeared Monday before St. Louis Circuit Judge Thomas McCarthy at the Carnahan Courthouse. He was accompanied by his lawyer Talmage Newton IV in the courtroom where he waived formal reading of the indictment.
Hendren was charged in January with involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action after police say he fatally shot off-duty officer Katlyn Alix during the early morning hours of Jan. 24.
A St. Louis grand jury indicted Hendren on the same charges Thursday.
After Monday’s brief hearing, Alix’s supporters walked through the main lobby of the Carnahan Courthouse shouting, “Lock him up! Lock him up! Lock him up! Justice for Katie!”
Hendren’s next court date is scheduled for June 17.
Hendren was on duty the night of the shooting, but he and his partner were at his home outside of the area he was supposed to be patrolling. Alix went to the home as well, and was killed when she and Hendren took turns firing a revolver loaded with one bullet at each other, charges say.
Hendren’s partner, Patrick Riordan, also 29, has not been charged with a crime. He has been put on administrative duty, sources have told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Riordan said the two skipped a call for a burglary alarm sounding and asked other Second District officers to check it out while they were instead at Hendren’s home, about six miles away, according to sources familiar with Riordan’s statements.
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