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Witness to Trooper Nick Hopkins' shooting says violence is 'an everyday thing' in East St. Louis

Debris is now scattered around the house where everything took place on North 42nd Street. Jovi Anderson lives right next door.

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — Hearts are heavy in the Metro East, following the death of ISP Trooper Nick Hopkins in the line of duty.

He was serving a warrant in East St. Louis when he was shot and killed Friday.

RELATED: Illinois State Police trooper Nick Hopkins dies after being shot in East St. Louis; 3 in custody

"It is nearly impossible to express the depth of my sadness and my condolences to the entire Hopkins family, his friends and the ISP family," said ISP Director Brendan Kelly.

Debris is now scattered around the house where this all took place on North 42nd Street in East St. Louis.

Jovi Anderson lives right next door.

He said he heard "loud bangs, flash grenades and smoke bombs going off."

Illinois State Police said several troopers were at the home to deliver a warrant Friday morning when gunfire was exchanged. Hopkins was hit.

His fellow troopers performed CPR until paramedics could arrive to the scene. Doctors kept him alive long enough for his family to give him one last goodbye at SLU Hospital.

He died Friday evening.

"I feel sorry for his family," Anderson said.

Back in East St. Louis, investigators were able to get three people out of the home and in custody.

"Two of the squad units came through that gap right there," Anderson said, pointing out in his backyard.

Despite the three arrests, the standoff continued for hours.

For a long time, investigators thought there was a fourth person hiding inside the house and wanted to use any means necessary to get in, including blasting through several brick walls.

"It was in good condition, and then I’m watching them just tear it apart from the front, to the side," Anderson said.

Credit: KSDK
Credit: KSDK

Jovi says he tried telling troopers there were only three people inside the house.

"There’s nobody else in the house and y'all are ripping the house apart - like - the situation could have been ended by 7 in the morning," he said.

Illinois State Police wouldn't confirm or deny if there was a fourth person inside the home. They told 5 On Your Side that they don't comment on specific tactics used by officers in the interest of officer safety but that they always keep the safety of the public in mind.

Perhaps the most tragic element of it all is that Jovi didn't seem phased by all the violence just steps from his home.

"Basically, when you live in the hood, so much goes on but you just get used to it and numb to it where it don’t phase you no more," Anderson said.

For him, that sense of safety was shattered a long time ago.

"Living here, that’s like an everyday thing, getting shot and all that."

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