76-year-old man set on fire during a property dispute in Red Bud, according to police

A 76-year-old man suffered second- and third-degree burns after someone set him on fire during a property dispute in Red Bud on Wednesday night, according to Police Chief John Brittingham.

The man’s identity was not released. He was taken to Red Bud Regional Hospital then transferred to a St. Louis hospital, the chief said Thursday afternoon.

“The last thing I heard was he’s in critical but stable condition,” said Brittingham, who noted the two men knew each other.

Shawn Porter, 48, of Red Bud, is accused of pouring an unknown combustible fluid on the man and setting him on fire at the man’s home on Taylor Street, Brittingham said. The chief said he could not disclose details about the dispute. “That’s part of the case,” he said.

Porter has been charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, obstructing justice, resisting a peace officer and for an Illinois Department of Corrections warrant, the chief said. He is being in the Randolph County Jail and likely will be taken to another facility next week due to the outstanding warrant, Brittingham said. No bond had been set.

Brittingham said that after allegedly setting the man on fire, Porter left the scene on foot and barricaded himself inside his home, which is on Mill Street, about half a block away. During a standoff with police, he threatened to burn down the house, but after a couple of hours, police were able to enter the home and arrest him, Brittingham said.

The chief said Porter’s wife was inside the home during the incident. He said it is unclear whether she was being held hostage.

No one else was injured, the chief said.

Brittingham said Porter has a criminal history and was on parole.

The Red Bud Police Department, Red Bud Fire Department, MedStar Ambulance and the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene.

This story was originally published June 22, 2023 at 5:17 PM.