Mt. Vernon ISP officer involved shooting

MT. VERNON, Ill. (WAND) - The Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation released video of an officer involved shooting involving an ISP trooper and a suspect in the Mt. Vernon area.

The shooting left a trooper injured and the suspect dead.

The incident happened May 9 at 3:30 a.m. on Interstate 64 near milepost 72. 

Police said 23-year-old Brandon L. Griffin of Albuquerque, New Mexico brandished a firearm and shot at troopers.

Griffin and an officer exchanged gunfire, and Griffin was fatally shot. 

The trooper was injured and taken to an area hospital. The officer has since been released and is recovering at home.

Griffin’s wife, 31-year-old Christine J. Santos, was present at the time of the incident and is currently being held at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office on a no-bond arrest warrant out of New Mexico for bond violations on a pending aggravated assault with a firearm case in which Griffin was her co-defendant.

Dash cam video of the event is being made available to the public and can be found by clicking HERE. 

**WARNING: The video is graphic and contains strong language**

ISP motor assist on May 9, 2023 in Jefferson County. Officer involved shooting.

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This video is being released after consultation with and authorization by the Jefferson County State’s Attorney.  ISP provided Griffin’s mother the opportunity to review the video before its release to the public.

Captions in the video provided by ISP state that both Griffin and Santos provided false names and dates of birth to troopers multiple times. During a record check at the scene, it was discovered that Griffin had a nationwide arrest warrant for felony weapons charges. After the incident, it was found that Santos had pending felony charges for weapons offenses.

This remains an ongoing investigation being conducted by ISP and is under review by the Jefferson County State’s Attorney’s Office.  No additional information is available at this time.

All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. 

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