ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A plea hearing that was scheduled for Friday for a St. Louis City Sheriff’s Deputy charged with shooting and killing a suspected carjacker has been postponed.

The plea hearing for James Buchanan was scheduled to take place at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Ellen Ribaudo in Division 18 at the St. Louis County Courthouse in Clayton. However, Brianne Besheer, a member of Buchanan’s legal team, told FOX 2 that the hearing has been rescheduled for September 29.

Besheer is part of attorney Scott Rosenblum’s office, which is representing Buchanan. Buchanan is facing charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the July 2020 incident.

St. Louis County Police say William Burgess carjacked a 67-year-old man who was with his 10-year-old grandson in a McDonald’s parking lot on Bellefontaine Road in the Spanish Lake area of the north county.

We’re told Burgess, who was 27 years old, then hit the grandfather with the truck that he carjacked as he tried to drive away with it.

Authorities told FOX 2 that Buchanan, who was off duty at the time and on his way to work, saw the vehicle crash nearby and Burgess take off running. It’s also understood that Buchanan chased Burgess and eventually shot him.

Burgess was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said that his office’s Conviction and Incident Review Team prosecuted the case. That unit was formed to look into incidents, including police use of force cases.

We understand that grand jurors were given the option to charge Buchanan with either second-degree murder or first-degree involuntary manslaughter. They chose the more serious second-degree murder charge.

Besheer shared with FOX 2 that the reason the plea didn’t happen Friday was because all of Burgess’ family couldn’t make it to court today. The plea on September 29 is set to take place at 10:30 a.m. again in front of Judge Ribaudo.