Suspect in ‘horrific’ shooting of deputy at hotel in Rockford, Illinois, barricaded in his car after high-speed chase: Officials

A manhunt for a suspect in the shooting of a sheriff’s deputy Thursday at a hotel in Rockford, Illinois, led to a wild high-speed police chase on an interstate — with the fleeing fugitive reportedly pointing a gun out his window at officers, according to police and media reports.

The suspect, identified as Floyd E. Brown, 39, lost control of his vehicle during the chase and careened off Interstate 55 between Bloomington and Springfield and crashed into a ravine, said Master Sgt. Sam Thomas of the Illinois State Police.

Rockford police officials said Thursday afternoon that the McHenry County Sheriff’s deputy wounded in the shooting was still alive, but his condition was unknown. Officials said an earlier statement by Trooper Sean Ramsey of the Illinois State Police that the deputy had died was incorrect.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker had also tweeted that the deputy had died, but later removed his tweet.

At an afternoon news conference, Ramsey said Brown was barricaded in his car and police were trying to establish communication with him to convince him to surrender. He said Brown was still armed with at least one gun.

“We want it to end peacefully,” Ramsey said. “You never want to end a life.”

The shooting occurred at 9:15 a.m. local time as the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force from the Great Lakes Region was attempting to arrest Brown at an Extended Stay America hotel, officials said.

WLS

Lt. Kurt Whisenand of the Rockford Police Department said that as task force members approached Brown’s room on the third floor of the hotel. Ramsey added that Brown allegedly fired through the door, hitting the sheriff’s deputy outside in the hallway.

Whisenand said Brown is believed to have fired a rifle at the task force members and then fled out a window, leaving a female acquaintance with a bullet wound in the hotel room.

Whisenand said no members of the task force fired their weapons, and investigators believe Brown shot the woman in the hotel room.

The woman’s name was not released and she was being treated at a hospital.

The deputy wounded in the shooting is a member of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Jack Franks, the McHenry County Board chairman, told ABC News.

“He’s fighting for his life,” Franks said. “It’s a dark day here and certainly his family is in our prayers.”

Authorities initially said Brown was 45 years old, and that the deputy was a U.S. Marshal.

Bloomington IL Police Department

Brown fled the hotel in a Mercury Grand Marquis.

His car was spotted headed south on Interstate 55 and police chased him into Logan County, WLS-TV reported. The chase reached speeds of 100 miles per hour and the driver was pointing a gun outside his vehicle window at police pursuing him, ABC station WLS-TV in Chicago reported.

Thomas said the car went off the road and into a ravine. It was not immediately clear if Brown was injured.

Brown was wanted for an armed robbery and several burglaries that occurred in December in Bloomington, WLS-TV reported.

Bloomington IL Police Department

Winnebago County State’s Attorney Marilyn Hite Ross said at the news conference that his office has already obtained an arrest warrant for Brown on charges of attempted murder and a judge has set a $5 million bond.

Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara called the incident “horrific.”

“My heart truly goes out to the officer who was injured and their entire family as well as all law enforcement,” McNamara said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.