Suspect with multiple guns arrested after standoff on MLK Bridge, police say
A 39-year-old man who had multiple guns inside his vehicle was arrested by police who used a Taser on the suspect in the standoff on the Martin Luther King Bridge early Monday morning.
Police were called to the bridge regarding a vehicle off the roadway. Police saw had a handgun in the motorist’s waistband as they approached his vehicle and the man refused to follow police commands and or cooperate with police negotiators.
A SWAT team and police from various agencies were dispatched to the Martin Luther King Bridge at the approach to St. Louis. The bridge was closed to traffic for several hours while police worked to get the man out of his vehicle.
Illinois State Police District 11 received a call at 2:17 a.m. that reported a vehicle was off the roadway at the approach to the Martin Luther King Bridge leading into St. Louis, a news release issued by Illinois State Police Trooper Joshua Robinson said.
The suspect would not obey police commands. Police negotiators tried to talk the suspect out of his vehicle until 4:35 a.m. Then police deployed a Taser and the man was taken into custody without further incident, according to the news release.
The man’s name was not released by police.
Police seized three handguns and two rifles from the vehicle.
Police cleared the bridge at about 5:30 a.m. and reopened the bridge to motorists.
District 11 troopers and investigators were assisted by ISP SWAT, Zone 6 negotiators, crime scene services and multiple local agencies.
