A sheriff’s deputy in western Illinois setting up spike strips on a roadway was killed Friday morning when he was struck by a car driven by suspect who was fleeing authorities after allegedly being spotted at a store with a gun, officials said.
In a news release, the Illinois State Police said the Knox County deputy was struck shortly after 8 a.m. as he was setting up spike strips to try to flatten the tires of the fleeing vehicle that was being pursued in nearby Henry County by Galesburg Police officers. The officers, responding to a 911 call about a suspect with a gun at Circle K store in Galesburg, were chasing the vehicle after the driver fled during an attempted traffic stop.
The state police said the suspect continued to drive on US Highway 150 before the car crashed into a nearby field. They said the suspect then tried to run away but was captured after a brief foot pursuit.
The name of the deputy was not released pending the notification of next of kin and officials declined to release the name of the suspect.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
