Source Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa
WATERLOO, IA — The two Waterloo police officers who were shot Sunday were attempting to use non-lethal force to detain a suspect with a gun, according to investigators.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said Kelvin Lee Plain Jr., 35, shot the officers after he was Tasered Sunday morning.
The officers returned fire, striking Plain, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
DCI officials said both officers are in stable condition. One underwent surgery and another was expected to be released from the hospital Monday. The officers haven’t been identified publicly.
Authorities said the officers responded to a report of a man with a gun who was wearing green and riding a bike in the 200 block of Manson Street around 8:22 a.m.
They found Plain riding a bicycle in Sullivan Park. He continued riding his bike away from officers and then dismounted and ran on foot, DCI officials said.
One of the officers fired a Taser at Plain as he was running, knocking Plain to the ground.
Plain then fired several shots from a handgun at both officers, striking one officer who was still inside his vehicle, and another who was shot while on foot. Both officers then fired back.
The incident was captured by a Waterloo Police Department vehicle dash-cam, according to the DCI.
Investigators closed off several blocks around the shooting scene, including a large part of Sullivan Park, as neighbors began to gather.
The deceased’s mother also came to the scene.
“My son was shot and killed. … I just wanted to stay down here long enough until they picked my baby’s body off the ground, and I did that,” the mother said.
She said she is still trying to take in what happened.
“They said he was running through the park, and the police Tased him, and they say my son ended up shooting two of the police officers after he was down on the ground. But there’s a bicycle, and his shoes are still over there in the park,” she said.
She said she talked with police and Mayor Quentin Hart, who came to the scene.
This incident remains under investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, which is standard for officer-involved shootings.
Upon completion, the results of the investigation will be forwarded to the Black Hawk County Attorney’s Office and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office for review.
This is the second officer-involved shooting in Waterloo this year.
In March, officers were sent to a report of a man with a gun who had threatened people and fired a shot at an automotive shop near his home. Police responded and saw John Piazza point a gun out of the window of his home. Piazza was shot and killed.
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