GRANITE CITY, Ill. — The man charged with shooting a Granite City police officer late Tuesday night was killed in southern Illinois after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement Wednesday evening.
At about 8:30 p.m., the Cape Girardeau Police Department received a FLOCK Alert about a car being driven by a suspect involved in the Granite City police shooting. Officers located the vehicle at about 8:35 p.m. and attempted to make a traffic stop in the 2100 block of William Street.
When the suspect failed to stop, a pursuit ensued. Police deployed stop sticks at the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge to stop the car, but instead, the suspect drove into oncoming traffic to avoid them, according to the department.
The chase continued across the bridge into Illinois, where the suspect got stuck while trying to drive through a field, police said.
The shootout happened at around 8:40 p.m. on Illinois Route 146 at Virginia Street in East Cape Girardeau when Donald Friese barricaded himself in his vehicle and then fired a black long gun at law enforcement, according to Illinois State Police. Multiple law enforcement shot back and Friese was killed. No officers were injured.
Agencies involved included the Illinois State Police, the United Marshal Service, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office and Cape Girardeau Police Department. ISP did not say how many officers fired their weapons or which agencies they belonged to.
Friese had been charged with multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection with the Tuesday night shooting of a police officer on Delmar Avenue in Granite City. Police released a mugshot from a previous arrest in an attempt to find him.
He had previously been convicted of second-degree murder in St. Clair County court.
"Even though he's on parole, probation, whatever, he's not going to adhere to the rules because that's not the way he's structured. That's not the way he thinks," Granite City Police Chief Nick Novacich said earlier in the day.
Police believe Friese shot a Granite City police officer after officers responded to a 911 call about a disturbance in the 2400 block of Delmar Avenue at around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, the Granite City Police Department said. Arriving officers saw Friese behind a house and tried to talk with him before a fight broke out.
"It turned into a scuffle. And in the scuffle, one of our officers was shot in the arm. He received a through-and-through wound. It was non-life-threatening, and that officer is now home and safe and recovering," Novacich said.
At least one of the officers fired back at Friese and they believe he was wounded in the exchange, according to Novacich. Friese then left the scene.
"I do want to point out the fact that the other officer that was on scene did a fantastic job covering his buddy. Not only did he cover the officer, but he also applied a tourniquet, immediately, which I'm sure probably helped the officer. I don't know if that injury would have been life-threatening, but that quick wit and this having a sense about himself was outstanding. And we applaud his quick actions," Novacich said.
In all, Friese was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of aggravated battery with a firearm, one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm and one count of unlawful use or possession of a weapon by a felon.
Illinois State Police said it was leading an investigation into the officers' use of force, and the Granite City Police Department was handling the investigation into events leading up to the shooting.
Chief Novacich said both officers were wearing body cameras and they were active.
Parkinson said in an exclusive statement to 5 On Your Side's Laura Barczewski:
"This is a perfect example of why pens in Springfield can be such a danger to police officers in Illinois. Laws passed by the legislature absent of real knowledge of what police encounter in dark alleys can have such a dangerous effect on the lives of the men and women in blue. These laws can make a police officer second guess a decision that must be made in a split second, a split second that may mean life or death of that officer. We were lucky last night and I pray for my officer who was shot and all the police who live in fear not of the job they signed up to do, but from legislation that opens up harm to them."
He said to his knowledge an officer has not been shot in Granite City in decades.
"We just had a reduction in crime in the last year of 19%. That's a tribute to these guys that you saw standing in this room today. Our citizens need to know that these are these are rare incidents," Parkinson said.
Parkinson said Friese was not a resident of Granite City.
Resources for crime victims
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support victims of crime. Crime Victim Center’s programs range from direct services to crime victims as well as “creating awareness and change within the systems they encounter.”
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been the victim of an incident that caused trauma.
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