Police Officer Brian Russell Pierce, Jr
Officer: Brooklyn Police Department, Police Officer Brian Russell Pierce, Jr.
Date: 8/3/2021 Location: Brooklyn, IL FACTORS (1,2,8,11,14)
Perpetrator(s) Involved: Caleb Campbell
Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, Campbell has unrelated arrests for unlawful possession of a firearm and resisting arrest./Yes, Campbell was unlawfully fleeing from the police.
Mental Illness: None stated.
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Unknown./None stated.
Race/Sex/Age: Black/Male/22
What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At approximately 3 a.m. on August 3, 2021, Officer Brian Pierce Jr. was deploying stop sticks on a bridge in order to disable the vehicle operated by Caleb Campbell that was recklessly fleeing from the police.
Actions taken by subject toward police: Campbell drove the muscle car into Officer Pierce, killing him, and then ditched the vehicle shortly after.
Reactions by the police: Officers tracked Campbell down to Missouri where he was being held on an unrelated arrest.
How murdered? Officer Pierce was run over by a suspect’s vehicle as he was putting down stop sticks to help end the pursuit.
What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Putting down stop strips exposes the officer to grave danger – if the suspect decides to drive at the officer, there is little that can be done besides shooting at the suspect.
Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? Officer Pierce would have been justified to use deadly force as soon as he saw Campbell orient his vehicle towards him – however at that point it is likely too late to react given the high rate of speed of the vehicle.
Outcome for the cop-killer: Campbell faces charges of “first-degree murder, failure to report an accident involving personal injury or death, reckless homicide, failure to stop after having an accident involving personal injury or death and aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude police officers.”
