Police in Council Bluffs are searching for a suspect who was involved in a struggle with an officer, resulting in the officer firing his service weapon. The incident began at around 7-p.m., Friday. Authorities say while two Council Bluffs police officers were on the Wal‐Mart parking lot, working a shoplifting call, they located a white Mazda CX‐9 parked nearby that had stolen plates on it. As the officers were finishing their shoplifting incident, a white male walked up the Mazda and got into the driver’s seat. As the officers
approached the Mazda, the male subject locked the vehicle’s doors and started the motor.

A preliminary investigation indicates that one of the officers fired his service handgun at the driver as a struggle was taking place to get the driver out of the car. The driver’s window was broken out and as the officer was reaching inside the car, the male subject put the car into gear and sped off, hitting a parked vehicle. The officer who fired his duty handgun received minor injuries to his arm, but was treated at a local hospital and released. The driver of the white Mazda fled the scene, but the car was located a short time later, abandoned, near the I‐29/I‐80 interchange.

After an extensive search, the driver was not located. It is unknown if he has any injuries. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was called in to review the actions of the officer involved in the shooting; that officer’s name will not be released until later next week. The Council Bluffs Police Department will continue to investigate the assault that took place on the officer and will file appropriate charges once the subject is positively identified and located.

If anyone has any information regarding this incident, please contact detectives at 712‐328‐4728 or you can remain anonymous by calling 712‐328‐STOP (7867).