EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — A man has been sentenced to 40 years following an incident in 2017 where he shot at Illinois State Police.
Demon Knight, now 41, pleaded guilty to aggravated discharge of a firearm in February of 2020.
It was in regards to an incident that happened on Oct. 1, 2017. In a statement from the St. Clair County attorney's office, Illinois State Police Trooper Matt Bradford stopped a car that Knight was a passenger in. Knight took off on foot, running from Trooper Bradford. While chasing Knight, the trooper tried to use a taser to catch him. Knight then pulled out a .32 caliber revolver from his waistband and fired three rounds at Trooper Bradford, according to the state's attorney office.
More law enforcement officers, including East St. Louis and Washington Park Police Departments, arrived at the scene to assist and Knight was taken into custody.
Trooper Bradford was not injured.
"I thank Trooper Bradford and his fellow law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifice today and every day,” State’s Attorney James A. Gomric said in the release.
In exchange for Knight’s plea of guilty, Knight faced a range of between 20 and 40 years in the Department of Corrections. After hearing evidence and arguments, The Court handed down the 40-year sentence Wednesday morning.
Consistent with Illinois’ Truth-in-Sentencing, Knight will be required to serve 85% of that sentence before he would be eligible for supervised release.
“We take seriously our obligation to seek justice for those men and women of law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day in service of their communities," Gomric said. "This sentence illustrates our commitment to that cause."
