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Illinois officer dies trying to stop fleeing car on bridge

The incident happened on Wednesday, August 4 in Brooklyn, Illinois - a small town next to St. Louis.

Credit: AP

Brooklyn, Ill, Police Capt. Antonio White heads back inside past purpel and blank bunting hung on the building after talking to the press outside the Brooklyn Police Department about Officer Brian Pierce Jr. Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. Pierce was killed while working to stop a fleeing car on the McKinley Bridge early Wednesday. (Colter Peterson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

BROOKLYN, Ill. — A police officer from a small southwestern Illinois town near St. Louis has died after trying to stop a car fleeing from police.

Illinois State Police say the officer died early Wednesday, August 4. He was attempting to set up a roadblock to stop the car on the McKinley Bridge when he struck by a Dodge Charger.

Police have not offered any details about what prompted the police chase from the nightclub.

After the officer was struck, police were involved in another incident where a car crashed through a roadblock and into police cars, prompting officers to open fire.

A driver was injured.