MACOMB, Ill. — A suspect accused of shooting two Macomb police officers peacefully surrendered Thursday afternoon after a nearly 20-hour standoff, police said.
During a 4 p.m. press conference on Thursday, Sept. 5, Macomb Police Chief Jeff Hamer said 38-year-old Shaiking M. Mathis has been charged with four counts of aggravated battery to a police officer and one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm. Additional charges are pending. He was arrested around 2:10 p.m. and is being held at the McDonough County Jail.
Two officers were shot while executing the warrant in the 300 block of North Normal Street around 6:44 p.m. on Wednesday evening. Hamer said that after knocking and identifying themselves several times, the officers forced their way into the residence and were immediately shot at by a suspect inside.
Local, state and federal agencies remained at the scene for almost 20 hours. Police said Mathis had barricaded himself inside. A subject outside the home had been identified, detained and released by police.
Both police officers who were injured in the shooting have been discharged from the hospital and are expected to make a full recovery, according to Hamer. Hamer said the officers were shot in the lower torso and leg.
"The Macomb Police Department wants to express my relief that this incident came to a peaceful conclusion and there were no further injuries," Hamer said during the 4 p.m. press conference. "We also would like to thank the community for their patience, understanding, support and generosity as this incident impacted many aspects of our daily lives here in Macomb.
"I'd like to thank our law enforcement partners for their assistance in this incident. The efforts of the Illinois State Police, the McDonough County Sheriff's Office, and the many other officers who assisted on scene and with our officers at the hospital are sincerely appreciated. I'd also like to express my extreme gratitude to the men and women of the Macomb Police Department. The professionalism and bravery they displayed during the entire incident and their dedication to the citizens of Macomb is to be commended."
Hamer did not comment when asked if the officers discharged their weapons. A use of force investigation is being conducted by the Illinois State Police and all questions related to the investigation should be directed to them, Hamer said. He couldn't disclose the reason for the initial search warrant due to the ongoing investigation.
The incident happened around a block away from Western Illinois University's Macomb campus. Due to the active police presence, the university closed both its Macomb and Quad Cities campuses Thursday. The university had sent out an alert through its Emergency Alert System about an active shooter near campus around 7:37 p.m. Wednesday.
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