Belleville man sentenced for shooting outside Spike’s Pub and Grub in 2019

A Belleville man was sentenced to 16 years in prison for a shooting outside a popular bar and grill in 2019.

On July 21, a St. Clair County jury found Rashaud Paul, 30, guilty on two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm for firing his handgun at Lemadre Ridley near Spike’s Pub and Grub, 3701 W. Main St. in Belleville.

Paul must serve 85% if his sentence before he will be eligible for mandatory supervised release by the Department of Corrections, according to a release from State’s Attorney Jim Gomric’s office.

“We appreciate the service of the members of the jury and and the stiff sentence passed down by the court against Rashaud Paul,” Gomric said. “Paul’s conduct posed a real risk to the safety, not only of Mr. Ridley, but the numerous other patrons of Spike’s that evening when he opened fire.”

Belleville police responded to a report of the shooting at about 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 25, 2019.

Police and other witnesses testified that Paul, who was reportedly dating Ridley’s ex-girlfriend, shot Ridley in the leg with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and hit the Spike’s building with three bullets. They also stated that Ridley fired back at Paul 13 times.

“Ridley ran back behind a parked vehicle and returned fire after being struck in the left leg,” a court document states. “Officers viewed surveillance video from Spike’s, as well as a neighboring business, which depicts the scene as described by witnesses.”

Ridley was treated for his injuries at a local hospital and released.

A grand jury indicted Paul on six felonies, including one count of being an armed habitual criminal, one count of aggravated battery with a firearm, three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm in the direction of a building, school or person and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

A separate trial on May 10-11 dealt with the first count, and a jury found Paul not guilty. The sixth count was dismissed.

Paul has been in custody at the St. Clair County Jail since his arrest on Oct. 9, 2019.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Tara Steele and Tara Mendoa.

This story was originally published September 30, 2021 at 10:36 AM.