Global Courant 2023-05-13 04:05:39
Illinois State Police have released dash cam footage of a deadly shooting in which a stranded motorist shot and killed a trooper from return gunfire.
A trooper pulled up along the right shoulder of Interstate 64 in Mount Vernon around 3 a.m. on May 9 to assist the suspect. Near the vehicle were Brandon Griffin, 23, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and his wife, Christine Santos, 31.
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Brandon Griffin can be seen on video footage of an Illinois state trooper during a confrontation on May 9, authorities said. (Illinois State Police)
Authorities said the couple provided false names and dates of birth three times. A record showed that Griffin had a nationwide arrest warrant on gun charges. A second trooper arrived minutes later.
During the encounter, a trooper is heard telling the pair that he initially wanted to help them before they lied about their identities. As they attempted to take Griffin into custody, he resisted as Santos pleaded with him.
At one point, Griffin is heard to say during battle, “I was in the military. You’ll have to shoot me”.
A trooper used a Taser and sent Griffin to the ground. He somehow managed to get up, reached into a passenger seat and pulled out a gun.
“He’s got a gun!” a trooper is heard screaming before Griffin fires and hits one of them.
An Illinois State Trooper is seen on the ground after being shot, while another points his weapon at a car where the gunman was hiding. (Illinois State Police)
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The other trooper returns fire, helping the other off the ground to get behind a police vehicle. Griffin died on the spot.
The injured trooper suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was released from a hospital.
Santos was arrested on a warrant from New Mexico, where she is pending a case of aggravated assault with a firearm in which Griffin was her co-defendant.
