BELLEVILLE, Ill. — A St. Clair County sheriff's deputy shot and killed an armed man while responding to a domestic disturbance call involving the same man, the sheriff's office said.
Friday afternoon, St. Clair County coroner identified the man as 69-year-old Charles Sanders.
In a press release, the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department said deputies were called to a home on Schmidt Lane near Belleville at about 7:45 Thursday night. Deputies were told Sanders was involved in a domestic disturbance, and as they arrived on the scene, deputies say they heard him fire his gun multiple times.
The press release says Sanders confronted multiple deputies while still armed. At that time, one of the deputies then shot and killed the man, according to the press release.
"At this time, we will not identify the deceased suspect pending the notification of family. Unfortunately, throughout the country, calls for domestic violence and subjects experiencing mental health crises continue to be the most dangerous and volatile situations law enforcement officers respond to on a continuous basis," said Lt. James Hendricks, Assistant Patrol Commander.
St. Clair County Sheriff Richard Watson said nobody else was injured in this deadly shooting besides the suspect. Watson told 5 On Your Side someone else was in the home but wouldn't say who.
Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Bart Andrews with Behavioral Health Response talked about the risks.
"When they respond to a (domestic violence) situation, they got to be extra cautious. They have a lot more things that can go wrong in a DV crisis," Andrews said. "It's dangerous because you have one person escalated and you have a victim, another life that you have to address."
Andrews explained that officers aim to de-escalate a situation.
"If that person storms out the door, the officers options drop significantly based on that person's behavior," Andrews added.
Cynthia Danley, CEO of Safe Connections, knows how dangerous these domestic violence situations can be.
"When there are guns or knives involved, especially guns, it just increases the chance something negative will happen," Danley shared. "October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but all year round, we want the community to know that there are resources out there."
For the month, purple ribbons are placed throughout Belleville, a reminder of the harsh reality.
"What we want to make sure you don't have to go through this alone," Andrews shared.
Last year, the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department responded to 327 domestic calls, which Watson said are the most dangerous for their deputies. He said he can't stand to see domestic disturbances like the one Thursday night and feels awful for the family and officers involved.
The Illinois State Police Zone 6 Investigations Division is handling an independent investigation of the shooting.
An Illinois State Police spokesperson told 5 On Your Side, "ISP is investigating the use of force portion of an officer-involved shooting that occurred in the 5000 block of Schmidt Lane in Belleville. There is no further information."
The officer involved is on paid leave pending investigation.
Domestic violence resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence in the Metro East area, you can always contact the Violence Prevention Center in Belleville for help. For their 24-hour crisis hotline, call 618-235-0892.
If you or someone you know needs help, call the Safe Connections Crisis Helpline at 314-531-2003. You can also text that number from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, free of charge.
Alternatives to Living In Violent Environments also has a crisis line at 314-993-2777. ALIVE also has a hotline specifically for those in Franklin County at 800-941-9144.
The Women's Safe House can be reached 24 hours a day at 314-772-4535.