EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — Police used a stun gun on an armed man early Monday morning, bringing an end to an hours-long standoff that shut down Martin Luther King Bridge.
Illinois State Police said that District 11 troopers responded at 2:17 a.m. to a report of a vehicle off the roadway on the approach to the MLK Bridge leading into St. Louis.
When they arrived, they found a 39-year-old man who had a handgun in his waistband. He refused to follow commands, ISP said, and negotiations began.
Traffic cameras captured the standoff, which ended at 4:35 a.m. when police deployed a stun gun.
The man was taken into custody without further incident, and three handguns and two rifles were found in his possession. Officials have not released his name.
The scene was cleared and the bridge reopened by 5:30 a.m.
ISP SWAT, Zone 6 negotiators and several local agencies assisted in the standoff.
This was the second incident to happen on a St. Louis-area bridge Monday morning. Earlier in the morning, St. Louis police responded to the Eads Bridge, which is just south of the MLK Bridge, for a reported shooting. A young woman was seen being loaded into an ambulance with an apparent injury to her leg.
Police have not given further information on either incident.
This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information becomes available.