DES MOINES, Iowa — Two Des Moines police officers are continuing their recovery following a shooting early Monday, the department said in a press release.
One officer who was shot in the arm has been released from the hospital as of Tuesday afternoon. The other officer, who was shot in the head, remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition, according to the department.
Two other officers who were also at the scene remain on administrative assignment.
The latest updates come just over a day after officers attempted to stop a car for an equipment violation on Easton Boulevard at around 1:40 a.m. Monday. The driver of the vehicle initially stopped, but then sped away, leading to a pursuit, according to the release.
Police said the suspect turned onto E 24th Street, left the road and crashed. Sgt. Paul Parizek told Local 5 officers tried to get the suspect to turn off the car and get out, but he didn't comply.
Police used a taser on the suspect while attempting to take him into custody. The suspect allegedly "began to struggle violently" with the responding officers, Parizek added.
During the struggle, the suspect began shooting at police, Parizek told Local 5. Three out of four officers on scene returned fire, hitting the suspect. The suspect later died at a hospital.
Both of the injured officers have been with the Des Moines Police Department since 2022.
Des Moines Police Department press conference (Sept. 16, 2024)
"We were fortunate that [the scene was] right around the corner of the fire station, so those medics were able to get here pretty quickly, give that little more advanced care, and then get them on to the hospital so they could be taken care of," Parizek said.
Parizek said he feels fortunate that the officers' injuries weren't worse.
"When you look at a close quarter shooting like that, and plus, an officer being struck in the head, we could be telling a very, very different story," he said.
A homeowner who lives two houses away from the scene slept through the whole incident. She describes her neighborhood as generally quiet.
"In a way I'm kind of glad I slept through the thing," she said. "I think if I would have woke up and seen what was going on or heard what was going on or whatever, it'd be much more worrisome for me."
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Des Moines police detectives continue to investigate the incident.
Local 5 will update this story as more information becomes available. Download the We Are Iowa app or subscribe to Local 5's "5 Things to Know" email newsletter for the latest.