A man was charged with first-degree murder Saturday in the fatal shooting of Illinois State Trooper Nicholas Hopkins.
Chris Grant, a 46-year-old man from East St. Louis, allegedly shot Hopkins during an exchange of gunfire Friday in the St. Louis, Missouri, suburb, the St. Clair County state’s attorney’s office said. Hopkins was serving a search warrant when the gunfire erupted, according to Illinois State Police Acting Director Brendan Kelly.
Illinois State Police announced the charges against Grant on their Twitter page, saying that he is being held at the St. Clair County Jail in Southern Illinois on $5 million bond.
Hopkins was 33 years old and a 10-year veteran of ISP, Kelly said. He is the second Illinois state trooper to be shot this month.
A 32-year-old trooper was shot Aug. 15 while serving a search warrant in northwest suburban Wheeling. Volodymyr Dragan, 43, was charged with attempted murder in the incident, while the officer was treated and released.
