Man charged with first-degree murder in shooting death of 33-year-old from Belleville
Illinois State Police arrested a Belleville man Saturday in connection with the shooting death of a 33-year-old last year.
Deandre Cotton, 38, was charged with first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm. Police say he is responsible for the death of DeMarkus Coleman in the parking lot of the Clyde C. Jordan Senior Citizen Center at 6755 State St. in East St. Louis on April 19, 2021.
Cotton was identified early on in the investigation as a person of interest, according to a release from the state police, and a warrant was issued for his arrest two days after the alleged shooting.
At approximately 8:47 a.m. Saturday, the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force and state police troopers, tracked Cotton to a home in the 700 block of Morehouse Court in East St. Louis.
Cotton hid in a crawlspace, causing the evacuation of the apartment building and a perimeter to be set up around home, according to an state police release. Members of a SWAT team, however, safely took Cotton into custody without incident, police said.
Cotton then was transported to the St. Clair County jail and is being held on $1.25 million bond.
This concluded an extensive year-long investigation.
This case was jointly investigated by ISP DCI Zone 6, ISP Public Safety Enforcement Group, U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the East St. Louis Police Department.
