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Brian Russell Pierce Jr.

Gender : Male

Age : 24

Race : White

Date : 08/04/2021

Location : McKinley Bridge

City : Brooklyn

County : Madison

State : Florida

Agency : Brooklyn Police Department

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Police officer killed by fleeing driver during police chase

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

REASON FOR CHASE: Brooklyn police pursued a Dodge Charger following an incident at the Bottoms Up nightclub; the specific reason police initiated the pursuit was not publicly disclosed.
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NARRATIVE:
On 08/04/2021, 24-year-old Brooklyn Police Officer Brian Russell Pierce Jr. was struck and killed by a Dodge Charger fleeing other Brooklyn police officers while Pierce was deploying spike strips on the McKinley Bridge between Illinois and Missouri. 
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At approximately 3:00 a.m., Brooklyn police began pursuing the red Dodge Charger following an incident at the Bottoms Up nightclub in Brooklyn. Contemporary reporting states that authorities did not disclose what occurred at the nightclub that prompted the pursuit. 
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Pierce positioned himself on the McKinley Bridge near the Illinois-Missouri state line and deployed spike strips across the roadway. The fleeing Charger, driven by Caleb L. Campbell, approached at high speed and struck Pierce. Evidence presented at Campbell's later trial established that he reached speeds of up to approximately 98 mph while fleeing police. 
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Pierce sustained fatal blunt-force injuries. The Charger continued across the bridge into St. Louis, Missouri, and was subsequently found abandoned. Illinois State Police investigated the fatal collision. 
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Pierce had served approximately nine months with the Brooklyn Police Department after previously serving for about two years with the Spillertown Police Department. He was also a lieutenant and fire investigator with the Makanda Township Fire Department. He was the son of Tammy and Brian Pierce Sr. 
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DISPOSITION:
Caleb L. Campbell was charged with first-degree murder, reckless homicide, aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude police, and offenses related to leaving the fatal crash. In December 2022, a judge convicted Campbell of first-degree murder. He was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment plus 13 years. 

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Charges-filed-against-man-in-officer-s-16401560.php
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Campbell-convicted-in-officer-s-death-17656550.php
https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/brooklyn-police-department-names-officer-who-died-in-line-of-duty-on-wednesday-52156.cfm
https://www.odmp.org/officer/25394-police-officer-brian-russell-pierce-jr
https://www.policemag.com/news/illinois-officer-killed-deploying-spikes-during-pursuit
https://makandatownship.org/services/fire-department/
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thesouthern/name/officer-pierce-obituary?id=23960165