EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (KMOX) — New details in an officer-involved shooting case from last weekend in the Metro East.
Federal prosecutors say an East Saint Louis man is accused of pulling a stolen gun on a Saint Clair County Sheriff's Deputy - after crashing his car in a parking lot near the intersection of 18th and Ridge Streets and trying to run. The officer fired his weapon and wounded the man.
A federal grand jury indicted 42-year-old Demetrius Ward on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and for possession of heroin.
In a statement, federal prosecutor Steven Weinhoft said, quote "We live in a time - and a region - where officer-involved shootings are flashpoints that are capable of sparking extremely emotional reactions. In moments like these - it is particularly important to calmly and objectively assess the facts - to separate right from wrong."
Weinhoft went on to say the officer was forced to make a decision that no police officer should have to make... and thankfully no one was killed.
Illinois State Police handled the investigation.