A police officer in central Iowa was hit by a speeding car and there was gunfire Thursday afternoon.
Des Moines Police Sergeant Paul Parizek says investigators had identified a suspect in a case involving multiple Facebook Marketplace cellular phone thefts — and officers were moving in.
“As officers attempted to make an arrest, the suspect ran from them on foot. As other officers in the area ran to help, the suspect jumped into the passenger seat of a vehicle waiting nearby,” Parizek says. “That vehicle began to speed down an alley as officers were crossing that alley. One officer was hit by the car and a second officer narrowly missed being hit.”
The officer who was struck by the car sustained minor injuries. Parizek says one of the officers fired one round as the car sped away and no one was injured by the gunfire.
“The suspect vehicle continued to speed away from marked patrol cars, eventually stopping near 2nd Avenue and Franklin Avenue, where two persons were detained,” Parizek says. “Following further investigation, the 17-year-old male driver has been referred to juvenile courts on charges of two counts of assault with a weapon, eluding, 3rd degree theft, and possession of marijuana.”
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has been called to help in the case.