A truck driver who was a suspect in a Michigan bank robbery on Thursday apparently died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds following a six hour standoff at the TA Truck Stop in Effingham.
Effingham City Police Chief Jason McFarland told WXEF radio in Effingham that his department was contacted a little after noon Friday by a police department in Michigan that a suspect in a bank robbery was believed headed towards the Shelbyville, Illinois, area. Police began searching local truck stops and a city officer found the suspect’s truck at TA Truck Stop.
McFarland said an Effingham city officer was able to disable the man’s semi by pulling the air brake loose to prevent him from trying to leave the scene. An attempt to tase the suspect was unsuccessful. The man, who was armed, got into the cab of his semi and police then began several hours of negotiation with a goal of reaching a peaceful end to the incident. When the suspect became unresponsive, officers entered the truck and found the suspect dead inside.
Effingham COunty Coroner Kim Rhodes has not released the man’s name pending notification of next-of-kin, but said he was not from Illinois. His time of death was set at 8:11 Friday night.
Police report no other injuries.
Effingham City Police was the lead agency, assisted by Illinois State Police, Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, SWAT teams, Rural Med EMS, Effingham Fire Department and other agencies.
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