Illinois officer dies trying to stop fleeing car on bridge
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BROOKLYN, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois police officer died early Wednesday while trying to stop a car fleeing police into Missouri, authorities said.
The officer from Brooklyn was struck around 3 a.m. on the McKinley Bridge, which connects the two states. He was setting up stop sticks, which flatten tires, when he was struck by a red Dodge Charger, according to Illinois State Police.
The officer was identified as Brian Pierce, who was new to the department and in his 20s, Brooklyn Police Captain Antonio White told KMOV-TV.
“Officer Pierce was a very fine young man. Very energetic,” White told the station. “When he came to work, he put a smile on your face. He’s an officer that you’d love to have on your team, your unit, he’s there all the time. If he was off work he’d show up, he just loved doing his job and this is what he loved to do as a police officer.”
Police didn’t offer details on what prompted the police chase, which began at a Brooklyn nightclub where officers were working to obtain video.
Brooklyn is a community of about 450 people roughly six miles from St. Louis.
The Charger, which had temporary Illinois tags, was found abandoned in Missouri, according to police.