Armed Belleville man facing charges after wrestling with Fairview Heights police officer
A Belleville man faces multiple charges after police say he tried to hide a gun from a Fairview Heights officer Monday.
Deonte M. Hill, 20, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and resisting a police officer in St. Clair County Court on Tuesday, according to Fairview Heights police.
Hill does not have a valid Firearms Owner Identification card or concealed carry permit in any state, police said.
According to police, the officer approached Hill near the entrance of Total Wine & More at 5905 North Illinois Street after seeing him “acting suspiciously” while walking on Joseph Drive and Longacre Drive several times that morning. An officer said Hill covered his face with a hoodie so that only his eyes were visible.
The officer who approached Hill said he was “evasive and kept turning away to hide a portion of his body.” Hill resisted the officer’s attempts to check him for weapons until he was handcuffed and wrestled to the ground, the release stated.
A gun was found in one of Hill’s pockets in addition to more than 20 bullets, the release stated. The serial number on the gun also had been scratched off. Police later learned the weapon had been reported stolen out of St. Louis County in 2018, the release said.
Hill’s bond was set at $30,000. He remained in police custody at the St. Clair County Jail on Tuesday evening.
This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 6:35 PM.
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