Fairview Heights officer shooting suspect ‘should not have been free,' chief says

Yahoo

a day ago

The shooting of three Fairview Heights police officers should be of 'extreme concern' for state lawmakers and judges, the city's police chief said.
Elijah Thompson, who was charged with four counts of attempted murder in connection with the shooting, was scheduled to have his 24-month probation sentence on a weapons charge expire on May 17 – the same day the Fairview Heights officers were shot.
'In my opinion, this bad guy should not have been free to roam the streets,' Chief Steve Johnson said in a video posted on police department's Facebook page.
'His past violent behavior and his freedom to be on the street with a loaded firearm should be of extreme concern to our legislators, the judiciary and the criminal justice system.'
Johnson did not specifically say he wanted from state lawmakers and judges but he noted the Illinois Supreme Court 'has banned law enforcement from talking about the criminal history of defendants charged in a criminal case because it could unfairly taint the jury pool.'
Johnson could not be reached for comment about what changes he wants in the criminal justice system.
Fairview Heights Mayor Mark Kupsky, who spoke on the video before Johnson, declined during an interview to comment on the changes sought in the criminal justice system.
Johnson said in the video statement that 'any citizen' can go to the St. Clair County website to see someone's criminal history. He urged viewers to 'educate yourself.'
The Belleville News-Democrat last week published details about Thompson's criminal record that can be found only in public records that are not available on the county website.
Thompson, 22, of the 300 block of North 10th Street in Belleville, was charged and later indicted with four counts of attempted murder, three counts of aggravated battery and one count of resisting arrest in connection with the shooting in Fairview Heights.
Thompson's previous criminal records in St. Clair County include the following:
▪ On April 30, the office of St. Clair County State's Attorney Jim Gomric filed a petition seeking to revoke Thompson's probation and requesting he be imprisoned for multiple alleged violations of his probation.
▪ A grand jury declined to indict him on May 9 on an armed robbery charge and he was released from jail. He was accused of robbing money from a man in Belleville on April 16 while carrying a firearm, according to court records. No other details of the alleged robbery were listed in the warrant.
▪ Court records show Thompson was placed on probation for 24 months on May 17, 2023, exactly two years before the Fairview Heights officers were shot. The probation was ordered after Thompson pleaded guilty to a felony charge of carrying a firearm. A criminal complaint states he carried a Beretta pistol while at the Swansea MetroLink station on Nov. 23, 2021.
▪ Records filed on Nov. 30, 2023, allege Thompson committed the felony offense of unlawful possession of methamphetamine and the misdemeanor offense of resisting a police officer on Nov. 28, 2023. The charging documents allege Thompson ran from a police officer who had been holding Thompson's arm in an attempt to arrest him.
▪ On Dec. 1, 2023, Thompson was charged with unlawful possession of controlled substance, a felony, as well as misdemeanor offenses of resisting a peace officer and obstructing a peace officer. According to charging documents, Thompson possessed oxycodone, refused to be handcuffed by two officers and refused to provide his identification information on June 14, 2023.
The April 30 petition to revoke Thompson's probation includes the pending drug and resisting charges as reasons why his probation should be revoked. Thompson has a status conference scheduled for June 16 on these charges.
In his video statement, Johnson praised the officers who were shot and thanked all the other agencies and the community for their support since the shooting.
He said the officers have a 'long road to recovery.'
'These guardians of the democracy saw the belly of the beast and came out alive,' Johnson said. 'They came face to face in close proximity with the red eyes … of the evil wolf and survived.'
Officer Molly Muennich was hit in the face and was listed in critical but stable condition in Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis after the shooting. The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement last week that a bullet 'exited through her jaw and hit her carotid artery.'
Kupsky said in an interview that Muennich remained hospitalized this week.
Officer Herminio 'Tony' Raimundi was struck by gunfire in the arm and has been released from a hospital. He suffered a broken bone.
Officer Andrew Ward was shot in the chest, but was spared serious injury due to the bullet-proof vest he was wearing.
Charging documents allege Thompson used a Taurus GC3 9mm to shoot the Fairview Heights officers.
Two other officers were injured in the struggle with Thompson.
Thompson waived his right to a detention hearing and is being held in the St. Clair County Jail.
In his video statement, Johnson revealed more details about the shooting on Potomac Drive than had previously been released. He said the officers had responded to a call about a 'suspicious person' who was 'lurking on the side of a house.'
When officers confronted Thompson, they ordered him not to put his hands in his pockets. They then conducted a 'pat down' to see if he had any weapons on him.
'He immediately produced a semiautomatic firearm and began shooting at the officers,' Johnson said.
The three officers struck by gunfire were hit 'in under just a few seconds.'
'Because of the close proximity, officers could not use their firearms in fear of striking another officer,' he said.
Johnson noted Thompson was outside a home with a loaded firearm and a spare loaded magazine.
'His criminal and cowardly actions show he was only there for nefarious reasons. Without their bravery, it is unsure what would have happened inside that residence,' Johnson said of the officers.