Deputy Sean Riley\u00a0
Ray Tate\u00a0<\/p>\n
Web and social media editor
Deputy Sean Riley\u00a0
A Kentucky man wanted in connection to the deadly shooting of a southern Illinois sheriff\u2019s deputy was arrested Wednesday afternoon. The man \u2013 identified as 40-year-old Ray Tate of Hopkinsville, Kentucky \u2013 is also accused in a series of carjackings, robberies and shootings.
Ray Tate\u00a0
Ray is accused of shooting and killing Wayne County Sheriff\u2019s Deputy Sean Riley Wednesday morning. Investigators say Riley was dispatched to help a driver on Interstate 64 eastbound at milepost 115. When a second deputy arrived at the scene around 5 a.m. Wednesday, they found Riley\u2019s body. His squad car was missing, and investigators later found it just east of where the deputy\u2019s body was found, which is near the Indiana state line.
From there, investigators say they believe Tate carjacked a semitrailer new the location where Riley\u2019s squad car was abandoned. Illinois State Police say Tate allegedly held the semi driver against his will, forcing him to drive to a QuikTrip gas station in St. Peters, Missouri.
Around 7 a.m. at the gas station, Ray allegedly shot a man and stole the victim\u2019s car. That vehicle was later found in O\u2019Fallon, Missouri. The St. Peters Police Department said the victim in that shooting was taken to a hospital, and investigators believe his injuries are not life threatening.
Illinois State Police say Tate allegedly committed a series of carjackings, robberies and shootings in Missouri before traveling back into Illinois with a kidnapped victim in a stolen vehicle. That vehicle was found at a home in rural Carlyle, Illinois, which is in Clinton County.
State police say Tate broke into that home and held both the homeowner and the victim from the stolen vehicle hostage. Around 12:30 p.m., the Clinton County Sheriff\u2019s Office posted to Facebook warning residents to avoid the area of Beaver Road, just north of Carlyle, because of the hostage situation.
Around 1:30 p.m., Illinois State Police SWAT team members were able to enter the home, and arrest Tate without incident. Sgt. Todd Ringle with Indiana State Police confirmed the suspect\u2019s capture in a tweet.
Breaking News\u2026The Wayne County Illinois murder suspect is in custody. Deputy Riley was shot and killed this morning on I-64. Please keep Deputy Riley\u2019s family in your prayers.
Tate was jailed in the Clinton County Jail, and investigators say he faces charges including first-degree murder in Riley\u2019s death.
\u201cOn behalf of the Illinois State Police, I extend my heartfelt condolences to Wayne County Deputy Sean Riley\u2019s family, friends, and brothers and sisters at the Wayne County Sheriff\u2019s Office,\u201d Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly said in a statement Wednesday evening.
After the shooting, Evansville, Indiana, NBC affiliate\u00a0WFIE-TV<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0reports, Riley’s body was taken to the\u00a0Vanderburgh County Coroner\u2019s Office in Indiana around 10 a.m. Wednesday.\u00a0Law enforcement agencies, including\u00a0the Vanderburgh County Sheriff\u2019s Office and the Evansville Police Department, helped escort the deputy’s body to the Vanderburgh County Morgue.
Video courtesy of WFIE-TV
Investigators said I-64 was closed early Wednesday morning from the 110 to 130 mile markers in connection to the investigation. WFIE-TV reports that I-64 westbound reopened as of around 8:20 a.m., but traffic will be diverted off of that highway and onto Illinois Highway 1.\u00a0
Wednesday afternoon, Ringle announced in a tweet that an autopsy of Riley\u2019s body was completed and a procession of nearly 40 law enforcement vehicles escorted his body back home to Wayne County. \u201cPlease continue to keep his family in your prayers,\u201d Ringle said. \u201cWE appreciate the volume of people along the route that showed their respect for Deputy Riley.\u201d
The autopsy has been completed and nearly 40 police vehicles escorted Wayne County Deputy Riley back home. Please continue to keep his family in your prayers. We appreciate the volume of people along the route that showed their respect for Deputy Riley.
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Currently in Paducah<\/p>\n