Police Chief ‘Accidentally’ Burns Down Nursing Home After Tossing Cigarette (Video)

A shocking new video reveals the moment a small mistake by a Missouri police chief spiraled into a catastrophic blaze that destroyed an entire nursing home.

Vienna Police Chief Shannon Thompson is accused of accidentally starting the fire that gutted the Vienna Point Residential Care Center on August 7 — all because of one cigarette butt.

According to surveillance footage obtained by Wave 3 News, Thompson had responded to a false 911 call at the facility that evening. After confirming there was no emergency, the veteran officer paused for a smoke outside the entrance — and casually snuffed out his cigarette in a plastic planter near the doorway.

Moments later, he can be seen returning to the planter and stomping on it before driving off. Investigators believe that brief moment sealed the building’s fate.

Roughly 90 minutes later, the same planter burst into flames. Within half an hour, the entire entryway was engulfed. Flames spread rapidly through the structure, fed by strong winds and a limited water supply. By the time fire crews arrived, it was too late. The building was declared a total loss.

Miraculously, no residents or staff were injured.

At first, the Missouri State Fire Marshal ruled the blaze “undetermined.” But when the nursing home’s insurance company later turned over the surveillance video, Thompson’s actions became impossible to ignore.

Prosecutors in Maries County have since confirmed the video shows the police chief lighting up, tossing his cigarette into the planter, and later returning as the fire began to smolder — before leaving the scene.

“There was a cigarette butt can just ten feet away,” Maries County Prosecutor Anthony Skouby told the Maries County Advocate. “He put his lit cigarette out in a plastic potted plant. Listing the fire as accidental is insulting to my intelligence.”

Skouby said Thompson’s behavior after the fire was just as concerning. “He messes with the potted plant for a second and then gets back in his car and drives away,” he added. “He left knowing he started a fire before making sure it was out.”

Despite that damning footage, investigators officially ruled the fire accidental, citing that no visible embers were detected on the cigarette. Thompson reportedly told investigators he didn’t believe he was responsible for the blaze.

As of early January, the Maries County Prosecutor’s Office says the case remains under review. “The prosecuting attorney is still investigating and gathering evidence,” a spokesperson told DailyMail.com. “He has not made a decision yet.”

The nursing home’s 27 residents have since been relocated to nearby facilities. Families are now demanding accountability — and answers — from the man entrusted to protect their loved ones.

One former employee told local media, “It’s unbelievable. He’s supposed to enforce the law, not burn down a care home.”

Thompson has not publicly commented on the incident.