Belleville officer drew weapon after spotting man with gun during march, police say
A Belleville police officer drew his weapon at a downtown protest over the weekend after seeing a man carrying a gun at the event, police say.
At 2:53 p.m., police were called to a demonstration on East Main Street, where 50 to 75 protesters were marching in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. According to a release from the department, officers were responding to reports of protesters in traffic.
Police were monitoring the crowd and diverting traffic when an officer saw a man in the group openly carrying a firearm, the release stated.
As officers attempted to approach the man to see if he had a permit to carry the weapon, one of them drew his gun. The officer pointed the gun downward in what the police department release referred to as the “low-ready” position.
According to police, others in the crowd encircled the armed suspect.
“Officers believed the best course of action was to deescalate so there was no confrontation,” the release stated. “Officers moved away from the group and returned to a traffic control posture.”
Police later saw the man again during the protest, but could no longer see the firearm, they said.
The march continued until the crowd gathered at Public Square for a rally before dispersing shortly before 4 p.m.
No arrests were made during the protest, according to police.
Police have opened a criminal investigation, however, and are working to determine if the man was in legal possession of the gun, the release stated.
Police say the man is Black and was wearing a white hat, white shirt with red lettering, black shorts, pink socks and white shoes. The firearm was in the waistband on his right side, police said.
The man entered a maroon minivan for a short period of time before getting out and entering a tan Toyota extended-cab pick-up truck with Missouri registration, police said.
Anyone with information regarding the investigation can contact Belleville police at 618-234-1212 or leave an anonymous tip with Crimestoppers at 1-866-371-8477.
This story was originally published June 22, 2020 at 4:19 PM.
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