St. Augustine, Ill. – A late-night traffic stop attempt Monday, March 2, escalated into a pursuit and a standoff that ended with an SRT arrest in the Village of St. Augustine, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a sheriff’s office news release, a deputy at about 11:14 p.m. saw a vehicle traveling southbound on Illinois Route 41 from Illinois Route 116 with an excessively loud exhaust. When the deputy allegedly attempted to initiate a traffic stop, the vehicle failed to yield, prompting a pursuit.
The sheriff’s office said the driver fled into St. Augustine, allegedly disregarded a stop sign, drove through a residential yard, continued through an agricultural field and crossed a creek before the vehicle became disabled.
The driver then allegedly exited and ran, prompting deputies to deploy a drone and establish a perimeter while searching for the suspect, who was seen running toward a nearby residence, the release said.
A homeowner told deputies the individual knocked on the door saying he had crashed his vehicle and needed a ride, authorities said. As the homeowner stepped outside to assist, the suspect allegedly saw deputies in the area and ran back inside the residence.
Deputies repeatedly ordered the suspect to exit but he allegedly failed to comply, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies held the perimeter until the Knox County/Galesburg Police Department Special Response Team arrived. After additional commands and a secondary call-out, SRT personnel breached a door and the suspect exited and was taken into custody without further incident, the release said.
The suspect was identified as Bradley Allen Canier, 37, of East Galesburg. He was booked into the Knox County Jail and charged with criminal trespass to a residence, disobeying a stop sign and driving while license suspended, authorities said.
Canier was evaluated by Galesburg Hospital Ambulance Service and cleared, the sheriff’s office said. Late-night drivers and young commuters in the area may have noticed increased law enforcement activity during the response.
