Police interview the victims and witnesses at the scene of the incident Monday evening.
There was a heavy police presence in Gillespie on Monday evening that continued into the early morning hours on Tuesday after two males reportedly armed with weapons attempted to assault and rob three male subjects.
The incident happened in the 1100 block of Madison Street in Gillespie around 8:15 p.m. and led to a manhunt that continued into the morning hours on Tuesday.
Gillespie Police Chief Jared DePoppe told The BenGil Post that officers were dispatched after a caller said armed men assaulted a group of males. Upon arrival, Gillespie Police called for additional assistance and a K9 unit after the two armed subjects fled the scene.
The three male victims, whose identities were not released by police at the time of publication, were reportedly assaulted and attempted to be robbed, but DePoppe said only one male suffered minor injuries and the other two males appear to not have sustained any injuries. The only item stolen from the victims was a cell phone.
Police cleared the scene on Madison Street around 10:00 p.m. and continued searching the area for a sign of the two subjects described on the police radio as young adult black males with one wearing a dark colored sweatshirt and the other wearing a red colored sweatshirt. The identities of the suspects believed to be involved were also withheld by police at the time of publication.
Authorities discovered the suspects’ vehicle a few blocks from the scene approximately around 10:30 p.m. and dispatched Quality Motors to remove it. The vehicle presumably provided the K9 unit a scent to track and within one hour around 11:30 p.m., Chief DePoppe said the K9 unit tracked one suspect down near Clark Street and Staunton Road. Gillespie-Benld Area Ambulance Service was dispatched to evaluate a dog bite and a dispatcher announced on the police radio that the second suspect remained at large potentially armed.
Chief DePoppe confirmed to The BenGil Post that the second suspect believed to be involved was captured in the early morning hours on Tuesday after an informational tip from a Gillespie resident. Both suspects were apprehended without incident despite the K9 biting one suspect late Monday evening, but DePoppe declined to comment whether the subjects were armed.
“There was no resistance and we made peaceful arrests,” Chief DePoppe concluded. “Gillespie Police Department thanks all the responding officers for their assistance.”
The two male subjects believed to be the suspects are being held at Macoupin County Jail. The incident remains under investigation. Charges from the Macoupin County State’s Attorney were not available at the time of publication.
Assisting Gillespie Police Department on the scene were Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office, Benld Police Department, Carlinville K9 Unit and Bunker Hill Police Department.
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