Two charged in pickup truck collision during downtown Belleville protest march
Charges were filed Tuesday against two men involved in a collision after one of them drove his pickup truck through a group of protesters blocking a downtown intersection on Feb. 4
George T. Eccles Jr., 69, of Belleville, was the driver of the first pickup truck and Devan K. Cotton, 31, of Belleville, was the driver of the second truck, according to charging documents filed by St. Clair County State’s Attorney James Gomric’s office.
Eccles was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon that was loaded and inside a vehicle, which is a felony; reckless driving, which is a misdemeanor; and failure to stop/give right of way to pedestrians, which is a misdemeanor, according to the documents.
Cotton was charged with aggravated assault/operating vehicle/struck, which is a felony; criminal damage to property over $500/less than $10,000, which is a felony; and reckless driving, which is a misdemeanor, according to the documents.
Arrest warrants were filed and bail for each man was set at $25,000.
Lt. Col. Mark Heffernan, Belleville’s assistant police chief, said Wednesday morning that Eccles surrendered at the St. Clair County Jail and Cotton was taken into custody at the city’s police headquarters and then transported to the county jail.
A spokesman for the jail said Eccles was released on bond and Cotton remained in custody Wednesday morning.
Belleville protest
A group of about 30 people protesting against police violence in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ death in Memphis had been marching on streets in downtown Belleville. Many of them stopped in the middle of the intersection of East Main and North High streets when one of the protesters said “occupy.”
A gray pickup truck, allegedly driven by Eccles, was headed west on East Main Street and attempted a right-hand turn onto North High Street. Protesters attempted to block him by surrounding the truck and pushing back against the front bumper.
The truck continued onto North High Street as some protesters ran after him. One of them, a woman, grabbed onto the back of the truck but fell off and hit the pavement.
A second truck, allegedly driven by Cotton as an escort for the protesters, pursued the other pickup down North High Street and rammed into it at the intersection of North Douglas Avenue and East C Street, according to witnesses, Belleville Police Chief Matt Eiskant said from the scene.
No one was injured in this collision but both drivers were arrested, Eiskant said.
The protester who fell off the truck on North High Street was taken to a hospital in an ambulance but a protest organizer has since said on social media that she was OK.
They shouted “Black lives matter” and “No justice, no peace” as they marched. One of their signs read, “The people demand: End police terror.”
Nichols, a Black motorist who was beaten and died after a confrontation with the Memphis police officers during a traffic stop on Jan. 7, was a FedEx employee, The Associated Press reported.
Each of the officers arrested in connection with Nichols’ death are Black and they each face charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression, the AP reported.
The sixth police officer, who is white, was fired from the department, according to ABC News.
Belleville charges filed
A spokesman for Gomric’s office declined to comment due to the pending prosecution.
Here are additional details about the charges:
- The weapon charge against Eccles alleges he was carrying a Charter Arms .38-caliber Special firearm when he was not on his own land, home or business and the firearm was uncased, loaded and immediately accessible and that he had not been issued a currently valid license under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act.
- The reckless driving charge against Eccles alleges he drove a 2000 Ford Ranger on Main Street at High Street with “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of person or property in that he continued to drive through the intersection of Main Street and High Street while pedestrians were present in the intersection.”
- The failure to stop for pedestrians charge against Eccles alleges he drove his truck in an intersection where stop signs are in place at a plainly marked crosswalk and failed to yield the right of way to pedestrians.
- The assault charge against Cotton alleges he drove his 2006 Ford pickup truck which placed Eccles in a “reasonable apprehension of being struck” since he “accelerated rapidly” and struck Eccles’ vehicle at the intersection of North High and East B streets.
- The criminal damage to property charge against Cotton alleges he drove his truck into Eccles’ truck at the intersection of North Douglas Avenue and East C Street and caused damage in excess of $500.
- The reckless driving charge against Cotton alleges he drove his truck “with willful or wanton disregard” through the intersection of High and Main streets while pedestrians were present.
This story was originally published February 21, 2023 at 5:14 PM.
