A manhunt is underway for the suspect in the shooting of a Granite City police officer Friday afternoon, authorities said.
A large police presence remains in the 2000 block of Johnson Street, where access has been secured for several blocks. Multiple agencies, including the Illinois State Police and U.S. Marshals, responded to the scene with dozens of vehicles and officers. Officers were going door to door in search of the suspect, according to sources at the scene.
Granite City Police Chief Gary Brooks said officers were called at about 2:19 p.m. Friday to the scene for “an unwanted subject.” When officers arrived, they were immediately fired upon by the suspect, who fled on foot.
“The officers set up a perimeter and there is a search that is currently still ongoing looking for the suspect,” he said during a news conference. “One officer was struck several times and he was transported to a local hospital where he is currently receiving treatment.”
Brooks said he spoke to the injured officer at the hospital and remains “hopeful for a complete recovery.”
For safety, students have been kept inside Frohardt Elementary School, 2040 Johnson St., due to what District 9 described in a message to parents as “a disturbance in the area.”
Chris Mitchell, the district’s director of communications and transportation, said the communication was sent around 3 p.m. Frohardt students are typically dismissed at 3:05 p.m. As of 6 p.m., the students remained at school, he said.
“We’ve been in constant contact with law enforcement,” Mitchell said.
The East Alton Police Department posted a message of solidarity with Granite City officers on Facebook shortly after 4 p.m.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters at the Granite City Police Department,” the post reads.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Editor's note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat. Madison Lammert is a reporter for the BND, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
