WAYNE COUNTY, Ill. — Deputy Sean Riley of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois was fatally shot Wednesday at about 5:00 a.m. He was attempting to assist a driver on Interstate 64 when he was killed.
Authorities say they have a suspect in custody, WEVV reported Wednesday afternoon.
Although details are still filtering out, WCSO says that when another deputy arrived at the scene, Riley was found dead and his patrol car was missing. The vehicle was found abandoned along I-64.
Authorities in St. Peters, Missouri, believe that a carjacking suspect from a local gas station in their jurisdiction could be the same perpetrator involved in Riley’s murder.
The carjacking in St. Peters occurred at 7:00 a.m., approximately two hours after Riley was killed, WEVV reported.
At 1:40 p.m., authorities said a suspect has been arrested in connection to Riley’s shooting death. A second person originally thought to be another suspect in the case turned out to be a victim, law enforcement personnel said.
Wayne County Illinois Shooting Update: Police have the suspect in custody. Police are not looking for any other suspects at this time.
— Sgt. Todd Ringle (@ISPEvansville) December 29, 2021
The suspect’s identity has not been released at this time.