DES MOINES – One person is in the hospital in critical condition after a hectic and dangerous series of events, all stemming from a domestic situation.
Police were called to reports of a drive-by shooting Thursday night at 1132 23rd Street. The call came in just after 11 p.m. A teenage male was shot in the leg during a domestic dispute.
His injury is minor and police say he was not the intended target.
Officers responding to that call observed two vehicles, a Mercury Grand Marquis and a Saturn Ion. They both turned onto University Avenue from 25th Street at a high rate of speed. As an officer approached, the Saturn forced the Grand Marquis to the side of the road.
When the officer activated his emergency lights the Grand Marquis began to flee. A short pursuit ended in the 3100 block of Cottage Grove. An adult male and female were taken into custody.
Later, a stolen handgun was located near 29th and Brattleboro. That gun is believed to have been thrown from the Grand Marquis during the pursuit.
The Saturn Ion that forced that car off the road left southbound on 29th Street at the same time the pursuit with the officer and Grand Marquis began.
A few minutes later, police received a call about a serious rollover crash in the 1000 block of 29th Street. A male passenger was ejected from the vehicle and taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police say he also had a gunshot wound to the leg. The female driver sustained minor injuries.
18-year-old Des Moines resident Aleah Johnson has been charged with Failure To Yield To An Emergency Vehicle, Failure To Maintain Control, No Insurance and four counts of Failure To Obey A Traffic Control Device.
The passenger, 19-year-old Des Moines resident Devon Williams, has been charged with Possession Of A Controlled Substance – Marijuana, and Trafficking Stolen Weapons.
All of these incidents are relation to the initial domestic dispute at 23rd Street. They are all under investigation.