Cop’s suit against shield manufacturer delayed

BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Jury selection has been delayed in a product liability case filed by a former Belleville police sergeant blinded after being shot in the face by a homicide suspect.

Jon Brough has sued ballistic shield manufacturer Safariland, alleging the company improperly marketed the shield for use in dynamic entries.

Brough was blinded and lost the sense of smell and taste in the November 2006 shooting by a cornered murder suspect who later killed himself.

The Belleville News Democrat reports Brough’s lawyers contended during a hearing Monday in St. Clair County Circuit Court that Safariland withheld documents that could have helped them in their civil case against the company.

An attorney for Safariland produced a log of 172 pages of documents the company claims are exempt from release to plaintiff attorneys.