ATKINSON, Ill — Update: The Illinois State Police have confirmed the man accused of firing at deputies in Atkinson has been killed in an officer-involved shooting in Geneseo.
Update: Police have surrounded a white truck in Geneseo where there is a "barricaded suspect." Find updates here.
Original Story: Police are searching for a man who they say fired a gun at deputies during an attempted traffic stop.
Henry County Sheriff's deputies tried to stop 30-year-old Jeffery Ryan Blunk around 4:20 a.m. on Tuesday, September 22. according to a statement from Deputy Chief Gene Karzin from the Geneseo Police Department. Blunk "fired a shot from a shotgun at deputies," and then fled on foot.
The deputies did not return fire, said Karzin.
Police in have blocked off a portion of Route 6 in Atkinson.
The US Marshal's Service, the Illinois Department of Corrections, the Illinois State Police, the Henry County Sheriff's Department and the Geneseo Police Department are all working together "in the ongoing search for this individual," said the statement.
Blunk was last seen wearing a gray shirt and khaki pants, his hair is bleached blonde.
Blunk was last spotted in Geneseo, which is about 10 miles from Atkinson. The two towns are connected via Interstate 80 and Route 6.
The Geneseo School District was placed on a lockdown. Parents were notified via phone call from the superintendent. The directive came from the Geneseo Police Department. Students were not permitted to be released unless with a parent.
Karzin said the lockdown was issued out of "an abundance of caution."
If you have any information on Blunk's whereabouts, call 911. Blunk is considered armed and dangerous.
