Suspect accused of shooting Iowa police officer found after dayslong manhunt
A suspect accused of fleeing a traffic stop and then opening fire on law enforcement, striking a police officer, was apprehended following a dayslong manhunt, authorities said.
Mark Lee Jackson, 59, of Des Moines, was taken into custody Monday evening without incident, police in Muscatine said.
He had been sought since Friday evening for attempted murder, before being located at a residence in Muscatine, police said.
Police said Jackson was driving recklessly and evaded a Muscatine County Sheriff's Office deputy who attempted to stop his vehicle Friday evening in Muscatine. He allegedly continued driving erratically at a high rate of speed before crashing and then fleeing on foot, according to police.
Law enforcement located him several blocks from the initial attempted traffic stop a short time later, according to police. During a foot pursuit, he allegedly fired at officers trying to take him into custody, striking a Muscatine Police Department officer in the elbow area, authorities said.
"We are extremely blessed that no children or civilians were injured, as Jackson did fire toward an area where bystanders and children were present," Muscatine Police Chief Anthony Kies said at a press briefing Sunday night.
The officer is at home and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the police chief.
Jackson was wanted on several warrants, including attempted murder of a Muscatine police officer and a Muscatine County deputy sheriff, Kies said. He also has active warrants through Iowa State Corrections for a parole violation and through the Muscatine Police Department for theft, authorities said.
Authorities had established a perimeter around an area where Jackson fled following the shooting and deployed an Iowa search and rescue K-9 team to that location amid the search, Kies said.
Drone and aviation units were also utilized in the manhunt, he said.
