DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI/KCRG) – An exchange of gunfire between a police officer and a suspect in Des Moines left the suspect dead and the officer in critical condition early Tuesday morning. Des Moines Police Sgt. Paul Parizek said it happened when officers responded to a report of a domestic dispute. When officers arrived, the suspect drove away from the scene, starting a brief pursuit. Officials report that the suspect left the roadway and shot at the officers, who then returned fire. The suspect was hit and killed. In a press conference update at around 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sgt. Parizek said the officer who was shot was hit by friendly fire in the back shoulder, through a gap in his body armor. Police have not released the names of the people involved. The officer that was shot is a 37-year-old with four years of service with the Des Moines Police Department. He is currently in the hospital in serious, but stable condition. Des Moines police said the officer is a hero, calling his courage commendable.
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (KCRG) – One person was sent to the hospital after an explosion at a commercial building in North Liberty on Monday night. Fire crews responded to the explosion at 390 Herky Street at around 11 p.m. Firefighters said the sprinkler system was working when they arrived, and helped subdue the fire. Crews worked to extinguish the fire and ventilate the building. The building’s south wall was bowed out and the roof had lifted off the roof because of the explosion. There were also multiple overhead doors hanging off the building. One person had burns and was taken to the hospital to be treated. A firefighter was also taken to the hospital for treatment of a shoulder injury before being released. The Fire Department and the State Fire Marshal are working to figure out what caused the explosion.
ANAMOSA, Iowa (KCRG) – The Anamosa School District Superintendent says a teacher charged with sexual exploitation of a minor has resigned from the district. The school board approved Wayne Lasack’s resignation on Monday. Wayne Lasack is accused of asking a 15-year-old student in 2014 to send him “naughty” pictures. The investigation started in 2018 and resurfaced earlier this month when new information came out. “This decision was viewed as being in the best interest of the District and all its stakeholders. We will continue, as always, to make student safety our number one priority,” said Superintendent Darren Hanna.
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (KCRG) – A North Liberty man was arrested after police said he tried to set a bush outside a bank on fire and threw a rock through the front door glass on Monday morning. In a criminal complaint, police said it happened at the Hills Bank at 25 Highway 965 NE at around 9:15 a.m. when 36-year-old Julian Stewart went in and spoke to a teller. Police said he then left and attempted to set a bush near the building on fire, and then threw a rock through the front door, shattering the glass. Police said Stewart was recognized from previous history, and was identified using surveillance footage provided by the bank. Stewart is charged with Third Degree Criminal Mischief. The estimated cost to replace the door is around $1,500.
