On the morning of Aug. 23, 2019, Illinois State Trooper Nicholas Hopkins, 33, of Waterloo, was killed in the line of duty while attempting to execute a state search warrant in East St. Louis. On Wednesday, March 18, a federal grand jury in East St. Louis returned an eight-count indictment charging Christopher R. Grant, 46, with several federal crimes, including using a firearm to murder Trooper Hopkins in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
“On that devastating day in August, the U.S. Attorney’s Office pledged every available resource to support this investigation and to support the men and women of law enforcement – today’s indictment keeps that promise,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “We continue to mourn for Nick and his family and we will continue our work to honor his sacrifice.”
For more on this story, please see this week’s print edition.