A day after a new police chief was hired in East St. Louis, about half of the shift’s assigned officers called in sick Saturday morning.
Normally there are about nine officers assigned to a shift.
Police Chief Michael Baxton confirmed Saturday afternoon that he and his lieutenants were patrolling the streets as a result of the calls. But Baxton stopped short of calling the situation “blue flu.” He confirmed, though, that three additional officers called in sick on the evening shift.
Mayor Alvin Parks said he didn’t know whether the officers were legitimately sick or protesting the hiring of a new chief.