An Iowa police officer was critically injured early Tuesday when he was shot in the chest while pursuing a suspect, who was fatally shot during the chase.
The incident began shortly after 3:30 a.m. when Des Moines police responded to a report of an offender violating a no-contact order, WHO-TV reports. Officers spotted the suspect's vehicle near the scene and attempted to pull it over.
The suspect tried to elude police, but he drove off the roadway and came to stop. That's when he jumped out of his vehicle and began shooting.
“Suspect came out, fired on the officers, they returned fire. So, he’s dead," said Sgt. Paul Parizek.
A 37-year-old officer with the department for four years was struck in the chest in the exchange. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
"The hospital is working on him, doing everything they can right now," said Parizek. "Right now he’s probably still in critical condition. We’re just hoping and praying for the best."
The shooting is under investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
