Fairview Heights police officer welcomed home weeks after being shot on the job

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. (First Alert 4) - First responders and residents lined the streets of Fairview Heights Wednesday afternoon to give a hero’s welcome home to a local police officer.

Officer Molly Muennich was released from Barnes Jewish Hospital Wednesday three and a half weeks after being shot on the job.

According to Fairview Heights Police, several officers were responding to the area of Potomac Drive for a suspicious person prowling around a home. When officers arrived and made with the person, they found it was a possible domestic situation. The person then began shooting and hit three officers.

According to a release from the Fairview Heights Police Department, Muennich was shot in the face and underwent emergency surgery; she was later listed in critical, but stable condition. Another officer was shot in the arm, breaking a bone in the arm, and was treated at a hospital before being released.

A third officer was shot in the back, but a bulletproof vest the officer was wearing stopped the bullet. This officer was treated and released from the hospital.

Two more officers were injured in a fight with the suspect. Those two officers were treated at an area hospital and released.

Elijah Thompson, 22, is accused of shooting 3 police officers in Fairview Heights on May 17.(Illinois State Police Department)

The Illinois State Police Department announced that Elijah Thompson, of Belleville, had been charged with four counts of attempted murder, three counts of aggravated battery and one count of resisting arrest.

“To be able to bring her home today is absolutely phenomenal,” Fairview Heights Police Chief Steve Johnson said.

He described Officer Muennich is humble but more than deserving of the community’s love.

“We’re lucky at Fairview Heights that we have a lot of superstars but she is definitely a shining star,” he said. “He’s the one I get unbelievable amount of thank you calls from citizens, sometimes it’s even people she arrested but she has no problem taking a bad guy down.”

Johnson said the focus now turns to moving forward something the department and community are eager to do.

“The oath that you take for this badge when you see the you get from the citizens and other law enforcement agencies it spells it all out,” he said. “I’d call it the why, it’s the why we do the job.”

All officers who were shot during the incident back in may have since been released from the hospital some are even back on patrol

Backstoppers is providing assistance to three officers after this incident including Molly.

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