CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. – The man charged in the recent Granite City Police officer shooting – Donald J. Friese – was reported killed in a gunfire exchange with officers in Southern Illinois on Wednesday night, Feb. 7, 2024.
Cape Girardeau Police obtained an alert about a car driven by a suspect involved in the Granite City shooting and located the vehicle and suspect around 8:35 p.m. Wednesday. The officers attempted a stop, but the suspect continued and a pursuit occurred. Police had used stop sticks at the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge to stop the suspect, but he drove into oncoming traffic to avoid them, police reported.
Agencies involved in the Southern Illinois and Cape Girardeau confrontation with the suspect included Illinois State Police, the United Marshal Service, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office and Cape Girardeau Police Department.
The suspect drove across the bridge into Illinois, where he was stuck while trying to drive through a field, then the shootout occurred. He barricaded himself in his vehicle and then fired a long gun at law enforcement, Illinois State Police said. Law enforcement officers fired back and Friese was shot and killed.
ISP said there were not any officers injured in the shootout.
Friese had been charged with multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder and other charges in connection with the shooting of a police officer on Delmar Avenue in Granite City.
