Police chase over Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge ends in shootout
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – A suspect who was wanted in connection with an officer-involved shooting in Granite City, Illinois was involved in an officer-involved shooting in Alexander County, Illinois.
Donald J. Friese, 39, died in a shoot out with police Wednesday night.
Both lanes of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge connecting Cape Girardeau, Missouri to East Cape Girardeau, Illinois are back open after a police chase Wednesday night. The eastbound lanes were closed. Traffic resumed normal flow around 6 a.m.
Cape Girardeau Police Department officers received a FLOCK alert Wednesday night around 8:33 p.m. about a vehicle that was driven by a suspect involved in an officer-involved shooting from another jurisdiction.
United States Marshal Service and Cape Girardeau, Missouri area officers found the suspect wanted in connection with a previous officer involved shooting in Granite City, Illinois in Cape Girardeau.
A short police chase ensued when the suspect failed to stop for police and crossed the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge into East Cape Girardeau, Ill.
A police chase started. Other responding officer positioned at the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge to deploy stop sticks.
As the suspect vehicle approached the bridge, he turn and drove head-on with oncoming traffic driving east in the westbound lanes to avoid the stop sticks.
Officers continued to chase the suspect across the bridge into Illinois and after a short chase, the suspect’s vehicle got stuck in a field.
Once in Illinois, the suspect tried to maneuver his vehicle through a field and became stuck, according to Sgt. Christopher “Joey” Watson Illinois State Police.
The suspect barricaded himself inside the vehicle and refused police commands.
After the suspect showed a firearm, multiple officers fired rounds into the vehicle striking the suspect. The suspect was pronounced dead on scene.
No law enforcement officers were injured.
About 8:37 p.m. officers found the vehicle and tried to conduct a traffic stop in the 2100 block of William.
The driver, the only person in the vehicle, did not stop for the officer, according to Cape Girardeau police.
Illinois State Police is handling the investigation.
