police-line-ts-jpg-7

FAYETTE COUNTY — A 44-year-old St. Elmo man is in custody after allegedly firing at law enforcement officers attempting to arrest him.

Dax A. Baldrige was taken into custody several hours after the incident began. No one was injured.

Fayette County Sheriff’s Deputies and the US Marshal Service Great Lakes Task Force were at a residence near Wright’s Corner in rural Fayette County to serve a warrant for failure to appear in court when Baldrige allegedly fired multiple shots at the officers.

Illinois State Police arrived on the scene and troopers began negotiating with the suspect to attempt a peaceful resolution to the incident, which began Monday morning.

After a 10-hour standoff, Baldrige was taken into custody without incident at approximately 6:48 p.m.

Baldrige was transported to Bond County Jail in Greenville where he will be held on the warrant.

State police are leading the investigation into the incident with assistance from the Marshal Service and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.

The Fayette County State’s Attorney’s Office is reviewing the matter to see whether additional charges should be filed.

Baldrige was arrested in 2019 in Fayette County and charged with multiple counts of being a felon in possession of body armor, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, along with aggravated fleeing police and armed violence.

He was free on a $4,000 cash bond in the 2019 case at the time of Monday’s alleged incident.