Video: Ill. Police Officer Stops Knife-Wielding Suspect as Victims Flee

Source Belleville News-Democrat

Illinois State Police on Tuesday released a video that shows an O’Fallon Police Department officer fatally shooting a 53-year-old man who was holding a knife and had refused orders to drop it as he approached the officer.

The man, identified as Matthew Blanke of O’Fallon, was pronounced dead at the scene on the evening of Aug. 29 in the 600 block of West Madison Street.

In November, the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office declined to file charges against the officer who fired multiple shots at Blanke, according to information presented in the video and an Illinois State Police news release issued Tuesday.

The officer’s name has not been released.

Illinois State Police agents were called in to investigate the shooting.

The video, which is 7 minutes and 47 seconds long, was released with some blurring of images and a warning for graphic content. The Belleville News-Democrat published a version of the video with additional blurred images of Blanke’s body as he is shot and then given medical assistance by officers.

Footage from body-worn cameras and squad car dashboard cameras is included in the video. The first view of the shooting is from the body camera of the officer who fired the shots. The officer exits his vehicle and Blanke is seen in the front yard of a home. Two other people are seen quickly moving away from Blanke and the yard.

“Hey, drop the (expletive) knife,” the officer shouted.

The man continued walking toward the street as the officer shouted, “Drop the knife. Drop the.” Blanke was then shot multiple times and fell forward to the ground.

Officers are seen performing chest compressions on Blanke. Another view of the incident is shown from a dashboard camera.

O’Fallon police were called to the scene at 7:43 p.m. on Aug. 29 regarding “a disturbance” and a man armed with a knife, according to the Illinois State Police news release.

“Upon arrival, officers saw two people covered with blood running from a man, 53-year-old Matthew Blanke of O’Fallon, IL, who was armed with a knife outside the residence,” the release stated.

The two victims escaping from Blanke were transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening cuts and stab wounds.

Illinois State Police released the video as part of its “commitment to integrity and public transparency.”

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