Two Cedar Rapids Police officers are on paid administrative leave after firing shots at a motorist who led them on a chase early Sunday. The suspect was spotted speeding near a hospital and then drove the wrong way down a one-way street.
Officers eventually tracked down the car in an alley on Cedar Rapids’ northeast side. Sarah Perkins lives in the neighborhood and told KCRG-TV she was in bed when the gunfire erupted around 2 a.m.
“I heard about 10 gunshots, and then cops yelling ‘get down!’ and a female screaming and yelling,” Perkins said. The officers were in uniform and in a marked squad car when they caught up with the suspect in the alley. A news release indicates the officers had exited their car when the suspect vehicle “came toward them in a reckless manner.” The two officers fired at the car, striking the driver, described only as a white male. The car struck a utility pole. The driver and a female passenger were treated and released from a hospital. Their names and the names of the officers involved have not been released.
For now, no charges have been filed in the case. Police have not disclosed how many shots were fired, or how many struck the man or where he was hit.
By Chris Earl, KCRG-TV