ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The Illinois man who shot a Granite City police officer Tuesday was located and killed by police in southern Illinois a day later.
According to Granite City Police Department, just after 10 p.m. Tuesday night, Granite City officers responded to a call in the 2400 block of Delmar Avenue. Upon arrival, the officers encountered Donald J. Friese, who fired a shot at them, with a bullet striking one of the officers. Officers fired back at him, who then fled from the scene.
The officer who was shot luckily only suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was expected to recover, police said. The officer has since been released from the hospital.
The evening after police released the identity of Friese, he was found by authorities in Alexander County, Illinois, with law enforcement locating him on IL 146 at Virginia Street in East Cape Girardeau.
Friese barricaded himself inside his vehicle after he tried to drive through a field but got stuck. A shootout occured, with Friese firing shots at law enforcement officer that include U.S. Marshals, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office, and Cape Girardeau Police Department. Multiple officers returned fire, resulting in Friese’s death.
Friese was facing charges with two counts of first-degree murder, a count off aggravated battery with a firearm, a count of unlawful use or possession of a firearm and aggravated discharge of a firearm as the result of the incident. All five counts are felonies with the first degree murder counts carrying anywhere between 20 to 80 years in prison in Illinois.
Friese previously spent time in prison, serving a sentence for a second-degree murder charge.