The county Special Investigation Unit is investigating an incident in Belleville where an officer fired a less lethal shotgun. SIU reports preliminary information that Belleville police were dispatched to a home incident at a Pine Street home around 6 a.m. Saturday. When police arrived, they met a man on the street holding a knife. He did not comply with the demands to drop the knife and proceeded to leave. An officer developed a guided energy weapon at the man and when that was ineffective, a less lethal firearm was fired. The man was beaten and his knife was thrown and he was taken into custody. He was taken to hospital but was not seriously injured. The SIU order was invoked because a police officer fired a less lethal shotgun, which has been classified as a firearm. An investigator and a medical examiner have been appointed for the case. At the moment, two official witnesses and an official have been appointed. Anyone with information about the survey, including videos or photographs, please contact the SIU Chief Researcher at 1-800-787-8529 or online at:
