Belleville man sentenced for pointing gun with one hand, gripping alcohol with the other

Police said a Belleville man leaned out of the passenger window of a car with alcohol in one hand and a loaded handgun in the other and aimed the weapon at patrons of a metro-east nightclub.

A federal judge sentenced that man, Nicholas Briddell, 33, to 71 months in prison and two years of supervised release for the stunt.

Briddell had prior felony convictions at the time of his arrest, including armed robbery and possession with intent to deliver cocaine. A grand jury in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Illinois indicted him in October of 2021 on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty in September of 2022.

“Pointing a loaded handgun at unsuspecting patrons is a bad, reckless decision, and the defendant will have time to think about his actions in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “It cannot be understated: we’re fortunate to have local, state and federal law enforcement partners promoting public safety in East St. Louis.”

According to court documents, on March 6, 2021, East St. Louis Police officers saw Briddell leaning out of the window of a stopped vehicle at an intersection near Visions Nightclub and pointing the handgun at patrons outside.

They arrested Briddell after they stopped the vehicle and found the gun under the passenger seat. It was loaded with a bullet in the chamber, court records say.