WOOD RIVER - East Alton Police and Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) joined forces to resolve a standoff in the 400 block of Wood River Avenue in peaceful fashion early Monday morning.
The four-and-a-half hour standoff started near 10:30 p.m. Sunday and was resolved at 3 a.m., East Alton Police Chief Darren Carlton said.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
“Our East Alton uniform guys did well and with the help of the other agencies was beyond comprehension,” he added. “Sometime around 11 o’clock, we got a call that shots were fired in the 400 block of Wood River Avenue.
"As our officers arrived and as soon after they got out of one of the cars, they observed a man taking a combat shooting stance inside the house and ran to take cover. Several shots were then fired. Across the street, there were two houses struck by gunfire from the shooter in the house. Thankfully, there were no injuries.”
Illinois State Police crime scene technicians collected several pieces of evidence in the case. Nearby neighbors were evacuated during the process by law enforcement.
Carlton said ILEAS came in and established a tactical post once they arrived with a search warrant. When they didn’t hear from the armed man for an hour or two, nearby residents were evacuated and they pulled off the screen door where the man was housed. One of their negotiators then finally made contact with the shooter and began the communication process with him.
“The man finally realized they were coming in to get him and the negotiator talked to him and talked him to make the arrest,” he said. “He was arrested without incident and he is being held with pending charges.”
