Man accused of firing shot at police officer charged by St. Clair County state’s attorney
Authorities have charged a 53-year-old man with shooting at an officer who went to his Cahokia Heights home to investigate a complaint about his dogs this week, Detective DeMarius Thomas said Friday.
Charles Spencer of Lake Drive has been held in the St. Clair County Jail since his capture Thursday morning, Thomas said.
The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office has charged Spencer with two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Thomas said.
A code enforcement official went to Spencer’s home Tuesday to investigate a complaint that his dogs were loose and aggressive, according to Thomas. Spencer came out of the house with a gun, Thomas said, and the code enforcement official stepped away and notified police.
When police arrived, the man shot at an officer and stepped back inside of his house, Thomas said.
Police set up a perimeter and called for assistance from surrounding police agencies, including a SWAT team, the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department and others.
Thomas said he wants “all of the law enforcement members who came out to assist in what could have been a potentially very dangerous situation, to know that the Cahokia Heights Police Department and city leaders are very grateful.”
Once police entered Spencer’s home hours after the code enforcement officer’s visit, Spencer was not inside.
He was spotted the Thursday near his residence and was arrested without incident, Thomas said.
