EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WAND) — A man was shot after a struggle with police near an Effingham church Sunday morning.
Illinois State Police said officers with the Effingham Police Department and Effingham County Sheriff's Office responded to St. John's Lutheran Church just before 9:30 a.m.
According to ISP, church security contacted police to report a suspicious vehicle and a suspicious man inside the church wishing to speak with the pastor. There was no church service happening at the time.
Effingham police and the sheriff's department responded and found the man a short time later. Officers discovered the suspicious vehicle was reported stolen out of Marion County, Illinois.
Officers tried to restrain the man, and during the struggle, he took out a gun. The gun went off and the man was shot. He was taken to a local hospital and later transported by helicopter to a regional hospital with life-threatening injuries. Nobody else was hurt.
St. John's Lutheran Church shared on its Facebook page just after 10 a.m., "You can thank the Lord. Everyone at St. John’s is safe. 10:30 Service is cancelled."
ISP said it was an isolated incident and there is no known threat to the community at this time. The investigation is ongoing and there is no more information available.
The Illinois State Police have taken over as the lead investigative agency, with the Effingham Police Department continuing to assist.
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