A man was shot by police and died early Friday morning following an approximately three-hour standoff in the 1900 block of Bluff Road near Trappers Fall south of Fults.

According to a Monroe County Sheriff’s Department press release, deputies responded just after 3 a.m. to a report of a man with a firearm who had allegedly threatened a female.

Upon arrival, deputies made contact with the male and requested assistance from neighboring law enforcement agencies. 

Deputies negotiated with the individual for approximately three hours, the MCSD said, attempting to de-escalate the situation.

During the course of negotiations, deputies learned this subject was “armed and holding a firearm.”

In an effort to safely subdue this man, deputies deployed a taser, which was unsuccessful.

As negotiations continued, the subject raised the firearm toward a deputy, the press release states. Deputies then discharged their weapons, striking the subject.

First aid was administered until care was transferred to EMS personnel, who had been staging nearby.

A county official said this man died at Mercy Hospital South in St. Louis County.

On Monday morning, St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office Chief Investigator Mike Tarticchio identified the deceased as 47-year-old Tony G. Esker of Prairie du Rocher.

Citing it as an active investigation, Tarticchio declined to provide additional information on Esker’s death.

“The cause and manner of death will not be released until all forensic testing has been completed,” he said.

At the request of Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing, the Illinois State Police was called in to conduct a thorough and independent investigation.

“Unfortunately, the investigation is still ongoing and we have nothing further at this time,” ISP Master Sgt. Calvin Dye Jr. said when contacted by the Republic-Times.

Earlier this week, the ISP did confirm that Esker was the subject who was shot and that he had passed away.

Friday morning was not the first time MCSD deputies had dealt with Esker.  

In November 2023, Esker was charged with felony violating an order of protection (prior violation) in the 1900 block of Bluff Road – the same location as Friday’s shooting.

Esker was also arrested in October 2023 on a warrant for felony violation of an order of protection (prior offense) after allegedly sending text messages to the person for whom the order was issued. Esker had been charged with violating an order of protection against the same person earlier that month.

There were additional orders of protection filed against Esker by the ex-husband of a female prior to a divorce being finalized in July 2024. There was also an ongoing civil matter involving Esker and a female.

This is the first officer-involved shooting in Monroe County since the July 2017 death of Edwin “Beanie” Esker, 53, in Maeystown following a domestic incident.

Tony Esker was the nephew of Edwin Esker. Read Tony’s obituary by clicking here.

In the 2017 incident, police said an intoxicated and “wide-eyed, teeth-clenched” Edwin Esker approached an arriving MCSD deputy with a running chainsaw and continued to advance despite repeated verbal commands to stop, after which the deputy fatally shot Esker three times.

In January 2018, an email to all parties involved from then-Monroe County State’s Attorney Chris Hitzemann – obtained by the Republic-Times via Freedom of Information Act request – stated he had reviewed the ISP investigation into that case and concluded the use of deadly force “was fully lawful, reasonable and justified.”