Authorities say the man displayed a gun as deputies responded Sunday morning.
SWANSEA, IL — A St. Clair County sheriff’s deputy shot a man Sunday morning after deputies encountered an armed person while answering a domestic violence call near a home in Swansea, according to authorities.
Illinois State Police are leading the investigation at the request of the sheriff’s department. Officials said deputies were dispatched shortly after 7:15 a.m. to a report that someone at the residence may have been stabbed. While responding, they were told a person was walking in the roadway with a firearm near the home. Deputies found the individual close by, and one deputy fired after the person displayed a gun, striking him. The man was taken to a hospital; no deputies were hurt. The case will be turned over to the St. Clair County state’s attorney for review once the state police inquiry is complete.
Deputies were initially called to the area around the 2800 block of Old Collinsville Road, where the domestic incident had been reported. A caller told dispatchers a man had stabbed family members, authorities said. As deputies converged on the scene, they received a second report about a person with a firearm walking near the residence. When deputies encountered the man, he showed a gun, and one deputy opened fire. The man resisted as deputies moved in to handcuff him, but he was taken into custody and given medical aid before being transported. The sheriff’s department said his condition was serious but stable as of Sunday afternoon.
Investigators with the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation, Zone 6, processed the scene and began interviews Sunday. State police said their agents would conduct “a thorough, timely and independent investigation,” and described the situation as active and ongoing. Officials did not release the man’s name, age, or the make of the firearm displayed. Authorities also did not immediately specify how many shots were fired, how many deputies were present, or the exact distance between the deputy and the man when the shot was taken. No officers were injured, according to statements released Sunday.
Records show that, in officer-involved shootings in St. Clair County, state police routinely handle the outside review before submitting findings to prosecutors. That process typically includes gathering body-camera footage when available, canvassing for home security video, reviewing 911 recordings and dispatch logs, and collecting physical evidence such as shell casings and firearms. Sunday’s incident unfolded along a busy corridor that borders residential areas and small businesses, which could provide multiple vantage points for witnesses and cameras. Authorities did not immediately say whether deputies on the scene were wearing body cameras or whether nearby cameras captured the shooting.
Under Illinois practice, the St. Clair County state’s attorney will decide whether the deputy’s use of force met legal standards after receiving the investigative file. The deputy who fired has not been publicly identified. Agencies typically place involved officers on leave pending administrative review, though the sheriff’s department did not immediately confirm any duty status change Sunday. State police said additional details, including names and any potential charges stemming from the original domestic stabbing call, would be released when appropriate. Officials did not provide updates on the reported stabbing victims beyond initial dispatcher reports.
Neighbors watched as marked units and investigators kept portions of the block restricted through late morning. Traffic moved slowly in stretches near Old Collinsville Road as detectives worked. “We heard sirens and then saw several cars rush in,” said a resident who lives a few houses away and asked not to be named because of the ongoing investigation. Another nearby resident said deputies knocked on doors asking whether anyone had exterior cameras pointed toward the street. By afternoon, crime scene tape had been removed, but investigators were still conducting interviews and collecting statements.
As of Sunday evening, the Illinois State Police described the man’s hospital status as unchanged and reiterated that the investigation remains active. Authorities said they expect to provide the next update after preliminary findings are compiled and forwarded for prosecutorial review this week.
Author note: Last updated January 11, 2026.