A Belleville man is facing multiple felony charges in connection with the shooting of three Fairview Heights police officers Saturday.
Elijah Thompson, 22, of the 300 block of N. 10th St. in Belleville, was charged Monday with four counts of attempted murder, three counts of aggravated battery and one count of resisting arrest. He is being held at the St. Clair County Jail.
Five officers were injured in all, including two who were treated and released at a local hospital for wounds they received in a scuffle with Thompson. But three officers were hit by gun fire allegedly from Thompson, according to charges filed by the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s office.
Officer Molly Muennich, was hit the in face and, after a police escort to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, underwent emergency surgery. She is in critical but stable condition, according to a joint release issued by the Fairview Heights Police, Illinois State Police and State’s Attorney James Gomric.
According to a police department social media post, Muennich was recognized three times as Officer of the Month and earned the Chief’s Coin of Excellence award for volunteering her time to assist Illini Elementary School students with Girls on the Run.
“Her dedication to the program and her commitment to supporting the girls is a testament to her incredible character,” the post said.
Officer Herminio “Tony” Raimundi was struck by gunfire in the arm and has been released from the hospital. Fairview Heights Police Chief Steve Johnson said in a statement Saturday that a bone in Raimundi’s arm was broken.
Officer Andrew Ward was shot in the chest, but was spared serious injury due to the bullet-proof vest he was wearing.
The officers were dispatched to Potomac Drive at 9:44 p.m. to investigate a suspicious person prowling near a residence, but quickly determined the call involved “a possible domestic situation.” When they confronted Thompson, according to the earlier release, he opened fire on the officers.
Thompson was arrested after a scuffle and police recovered a Taurus GC3 9mm handgun. An arrest warrant alleges Thompson knew Muennich was a peace officer when he pointed the weapon and fired at her. The warrant also said that Thompson pointed the gun at Officer Jonathan Henne’s head. Henne was not shot and not seriously injured.
The injured officers, including Sgt. Jason Totel, were transported to two area hospitals for treatment of injuries.
Officers from multiple Metro East police agencies responded to the scene including the Belleville, Collinsville, East St. Louis, and Washington Park police departments in addition to the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department and Illinois State Police.
Johnson issued a statement after Monday’s charges were announced:
“The Fairview Heights Police Department is united during this challenging time, drawing strength from our officers’ resilience and the community support. We are committed to providing every resource necessary to aid their recovery and ensure they know they and their families are not facing this alone. Evil comes in many forms and our officers confronted it head on. Our mission remains the same, to protect with vigilance and serve with honor.”
Gomric also issued a statement with Monday’s release: “We pray for the officers involved and their families and we intend to do all in our power to ensure that the perpetrator is held accountable for his actions that night.”
Police are asking for donations to help the department and families of those injured. They can be made to the Tyler Timmins Memorial Foundation. Donations can be sent by Venmo to @OfficerTylerNTimmons-MemorialF; or mailed to TTMF, PO Box 274, Bethalto, IL, 62010.
Editor's note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat. Carolyn P. Smith is a reporter for the BND, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio
