NORMAL - The Bloomington and Normal police departments have each identified an officer who fired weapons in Monday's fatal shooting of an armed robbery suspect on Interstate 55 following a high-speed chase. | Photo gallery | Timeline of robberies | Robbery suspect's criminal background | Other fatal police shootings

An officer at the Normal department has been placed on administrative leave as part of the agency's policy, Assistant Police Chief Kirk Ijams told The Pantagraph on Tuesday.

"Someone from our department did fire, but we don't know yet who hit him," Ijams said of the shots that wounded Robert Sylvester, 57, of Bloomington. He later died at a Normal hospital.

Normal is conducting its own administrative review of the incident, said Ijams.

Moss confirmed that an officer from Bloomington involved in the shooting also was placed on paid administrative leave.

Bloomington detectives were continuing to review a recent string of armed robberies to determine of Sylvester may have been involved in the hold-ups, said Moss.

Police have channeled questions about the shooting to the Illinois State Police, which is handling the investigation.

McLean County Coroner Beth Kimmerling said in a statement Tuesday that preliminary autopsy results show Sylvester died from multiple gunshot wounds, including to the head and lower extremities. Forensic tests have been ordered, she said.

Chase details

Sylvester was shot Monday afternoon after he stopped his car near the Peoria exit onto Interstate 74, just north of Normal Community West High School. Displaying a gun, he jumped the concrete barrier in the median onto the northbound lane, where he was shot by officers from at least two departments.

Sylvester, whose description matched the suspect in five other recent Twin City robberies, was taken to BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Normal, where he was pronounced dead in the intensive-care unit at 10:14 p.m.

McLean County State's Attorney Bill Yoder said he would not comment until he received a report from the ISP Division of Internal Investigation. He confirmed officers from Bloomington, Normal, McLean County and state police were present at the shooting, but he would not say which officers discharged their weapons.

Bloomington Police Sgt. Paul Williams, president of the Bloomington command staff union, was asked to represent a Bloomington officer involved in the shooting. Williams said he was filling in for the patrol officers' union president and the officer involved is not a member of command staff.

"I can tell you we had officers on scene so it is a possibility they were involved, but I cannot confirm that while the incident remains under investigation," Normal Assistant Police Chief Rick Bleichner said Monday.

Sheriff Mike Emery referred questions to Yoder. Officers from the U.S. Marshals Task Force also were involved.

Speeds neared 90 mph

Traffic was detoured for almost six hours along Interstate 55 and Interstate 74.

Sylvester was suspected of robbing Check 'n Go, 1401 W. Market St., about 1:45 p.m. Monday. His description also matched the man accused of four bank robberies and a currency store holdup in December.

Around 3 p.m., police began a high-speed pursuit of Sylvester's car on Interstate 55 near Lexington. The chase detoured onto P.J. Keller Highway and rural roads near Lake Bloomington before Sylvester made his way onto Interstate 39 near Hudson.

The chase reached speeds in excess of 90 mph, according to traffic on police radios. Both front tires of Sylvester's SUV went flat after he drove over "stop sticks," but he managed to drive off the I-39 exit onto the I-55/74 bypass west of Normal.

Pantagraph Photo Editor David Proeber saw Sylvester stop the SUV, get out and wave a handgun, and then jump the concrete barrier in the median.

Proeber heard a rapid series of gunshots, and said Sylvester fell onto the road.

'A lot of information'

"All the circumstances are under review by (Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation) and they are still sifting through a lot of information at this time," Emery said late Monday night.

The Pantagraph could not reach Illinois State Police District 6 Commander Suzanne Jansky.

"It would not be prudent to release information that has not been confirmed through a complete state investigation of this matter," said Bloomington's interim police chief, Randall McKinley, in an e-mail Tuesday.

Williams, the Bloomington sergeant, praised McKinley and Assistant Chief Robert Wall for their response.

"Both have been in internal investigations before and they knew exactly how to handle the situation," Williams said. "They are treating the officer fairly."

Williams said the Bloomington officer is doing well under the circumstances.

Sharon K. Wolfe, M.K. Guetersloh, Michael Freimann and Edith Brady-Lunny contributed to this report.