By AP/KWMU
Belleville, Ill. – Belleville's Police Chief was put on administrative leave Monday. It comes just days after a Belleville officer was shot during a stand-off with a man who later killed himself.
But Belleville's mayor, Mark Eckert, says there's no link between that incident and the decision to put chief Dave Ruebhausen on leave.
Eckert says he told Ruebhausen two weeks ago he was not going to renew the chief's contract when it expires next year.
Eckert declined to elaborate but said he and Ruebhausen have "different management styles" and had "come to an impasse.".
The mayor said he had a Monday meeting scheduled with Ruebhausen and his lawyer since Thursday the day before the standoff. Eckert said he had wanted to postpone Monday's meeting, but Ruebhausen insisted on holding it. Eckert said the decision to put Ruebhausen on leave came out of the meeting.
Ruebhausen was unavailable for comment Monday night.
Friday's standoff ended when Illinois State Police SWAT team members entered a Belleville home where suspect Larry Sicka was holed up and found Sicka dead.
Sicka was wanted in connection with the Thursday killings of Henry Kahle, 79, and Dolores Kahle, 69, the parents of his estranged wife, police have said.
The injured police officer, Sgt. Jon Brough, remained in critical condition Monday evening at Saint Louis University Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Brough, a 22-year veteran of the Belleville police force, was shot as officers tried to search the Belleville home Friday. Another officer suffered minor cuts from broken glass in the exchange of gunfire.
Illinois State Police have said they are reviewing the incident and how Belleville police responded to the standoff.