The full release below is from the Taney County Prosecutor’s Office:
At approximately 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, October 1, 2026, a Taney County jury found David Viner guilty of one count of assault in the first degree of a law enforcement officer, two counts of assault in the first degree, three counts of armed criminal action, one count of unlawful use of a weapon, one count of possession of a controlled substance, and one count of resisting arrest.
On March 19, 2024, Officer Jason Flowers of the Forsyth Police Department responded to the location of US 160 and State Highway 76 near Scooter’s Express Gas on an agency assist call. Dispatch had received reports of a male in the roadway swinging an object at passing vehicles. Officer Flowers responded and made contact with the male, later identified as David Viner. The defendant disobeyed law enforcement commands and fired seven shots at Officer Flowers, striking him twice in his bulletproof vest. Officer Flowers jumped into a nearby ditch for cover until other law enforcement personnel could arrive, while the defendant fled into the woods.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene, including the Taney County Sheriff’s Office, Branson Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Sheriff’s Critical Incident Team (SCIT), comprised of multiple agencies from southwest Missouri. Drones, K9s, and multiple officers were deployed to locate the defendant. When he was finally located, he continued to disobey law enforcement commands and resisted arrest. Following his apprehension, three firearms and methamphetamine were located in the defendant’s possession. The above-mentioned charges were filed by the Taney County Prosecutor’s Office on March 20, 2024.
Evidence and testimony were presented over the span of four days and following the guilty verdict on October 1, the jury returned the morning of October 2 to conduct the penalty phase. The jury assessed punishment at life imprisonment for the shooting of Officer Jason Flowers, seven (7) years for possession of a controlled substance, four (4) years for resisting arrest, and fifteen (15) years for the remaining six counts. Formal sentencing is scheduled for Friday, December 18, at 10:00 a.m.
The case was prosecuted by Taney County Prosecutor, Brad Hughes, with Assistant Attorneys General Aleks Holiman, Katherine Griesbach, and Melissa Pierce.
