Authorities identify man killed in gun battle with Belleville police

The Illinois State Police are investigating after a pair of Bellevillle Police officers exchanged gunfire with a man at an apartment complex, killing him.

The shooting happened at about 9:45 p.m. Thursday. Belleville officers were called to 5 W. Pheasantwood Drive with a report of a man in the area with a gun.

“An encounter took place between the Belleville officers and the subject,” State Police spokesman Calvin Dye Jr. said. “It resulted in several officers firing at the subject who was hit and later died.”

The deceased man is Angelo Brown, 35, of St. Louis.

GUEST BOOK: Angelo Brown

The names of the police officers involved were not immediately released.

Belleville Police Sgt. Mark Heffernan said police were called about a disturbance inside an apartment unit involving a man who was reported to be drunk and armed with a gun.

Heffernan said the man ran when he saw officers. The officers ran after the man.

The man and the officers exchanged gunfire behind the apartment building, Heffernan said. The officers saw a gun in the man’s hand, Heffernan said.

The man was hit and fell to the ground. A small-caliber handgun was found on the ground near his body, Heffernan said.

Paramedics were called, and the man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No officers were injured.

Heffernan said three police officers were present when shots were fired, but only two of them actually fired their weapons.

All three of the officers have been put on administrative leave, which is routine policy of the Belleville Police Department.

Heffernan said the three officers have varying levels of experience: one has 8 months, one has a year and 8 months, and one has 15 years of service.

The Pheasantwood Apartments are near the intersection of Illinois 161 and Royal Heights Road.

Several neighbors declined to comment about the shooting. But one said there are lots of problems in the area.

“I’m looking to get out,” said Shelly Dale, who has lived in the apartment complex for about three years. “It seems like there is always something (bad) going on here.”

Dale said the problems lately have included a string of break-ins involving cars. She had surgery Thursday and said she was asleep when violence broke out just steps from her apartment — and not far from West Junior High School.

“A neighbor knocked on my door after 11 p.m. and said ‘Did you hear the shooting?’” Dale said. “It’s terrible.”

Dale said the woman who lives in the apartment unit where police were called is quiet and sweet.

“She’s one of the ones you never had a problem with,” Dale said.

Dye said State Police were called to investigate the case at 10:45 p.m. Thursday. As of Friday morning, the State Police Crime Scene Processing Unit was going over the scene.

“Whenever there is a case like this, the State Police are called in to investigate,” Dye said. “We’re a completely different department, so there is no issue of potential bias in the investigation.

Check back at BND.com for more information on this developing story as it becomes available.

This story was originally published June 24, 2016 at 6:49 AM with the headline "Authorities identify man killed in gun battle with Belleville police."