Home Local News IOWA STATE TROOPER KILLED IN GRUNDY CENTER STANDOFF

IOWA STATE TROOPER KILLED IN GRUNDY CENTER STANDOFF

883
SHARE

A 27-YEAR VETERAN OF THE IOWA STATE PATROL WAS SHOT TO DEATH FRIDAY NIGHT DURING AN ARMED STAND-OFF WITH A MAN WHO AUTHORITIES SAY ASSAULTED A POLICEMAN EARLIER THAT EVENING.

MITCH MORTVEDT, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE IOWA DIVISION OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, SAYS SERGEANT JIM SMITH WAS SHOT AS HE AND OTHER OFFICERS ENTERED THE GRUNDY CENTER HOME OF MICHAEL LANG AROUND 9 P.M. FRIDAY:

PATROL1 OC………TO COME OUT.” :24

THREE HOURS LATER AUTHORITIES USED AN ARMORED VEHICLE TO BATTER INTO LANG’S HOUSE:

PATROL2 OC………MULTIPLE TIMES.” :11

LANG WAS TAKEN TO UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS, WHERE HE’S LISTED IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER SURGERY FOR SEVERAL GUNSHOT WOUNDS.

THE EVENTS BEGAN SHORTLY BEFORE 7:30 FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN A GRUNDY CENTER POLICEMAN ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TRAFFIC STOP, BUT MORTVEDT SAYS LANG SPED AWAY, THEN STOPPED IN AN AREA SOUTHEAST OF GRUNDY CENTER AND ASSAULTED THE OFFICER:

PATROL3 OC……..A CHOKEHOLD.” :12

SMITH WAS THE LEADER OF ONE OF THE PATROL’S TACTICAL TEAMS AND IS THE SECOND TROOPER IN THE HISTORY OF THE STATE PATROL TO BE SHOT AND KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.

THE FIRST WAS TROOPER ORAN PAPE, WHO WAS KILLED IN 1936 AS HE PURSUED A SUSPECT.

LANG HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND HIS BOND IS SET AT ONE MILLION DOLLARS.

………………….