The chief of the Perry Police Department was injured in a shooting Tuesday morning in Perry.
Dallas County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Adam Infante confirmed that Perry Police Chief Eric Vaughn was injured in a shooting Tuesday morning in Perry. Infante says that at approximately 5 a.m. Tuesday morning deputies and officers responded to a reported shooting within city limits where the suspect, later identified as 30-year-old Jeremiah Messner of Perry shot out the back window of a vehicle. Officers eventually caught up with Messner between 6-6:30 a.m. and the shot was fired at approximately 7:04 a.m.
Infante says Messner was armed with a handgun and officers and deputies were speaking with Messner in a rolling standoff on the bike trail near West 8th Street and St. Paul Street. Infante says during the negotiation process law enforcement officials offered a lighter to get Messner to drop the weapon which he did. Infante says as law enforcement attempted to make an arrest Messner made it back to the weapon and a struggle ensued that resulted in Vaughn being shot. Messner was arrested after officers deployed their tasers.
Perry Police Department SGT. Jim Archer says Vaughn was life flighted to a hospital in Des Moines and is currently in good spirits and doing well. Archer says Vaughn received a single gun shot wound at close range in the upper thigh and expects to be released tomorrow.
Infante says no officers discharged any firearms during the incident with Messner and Infante says he and the Sheriff’s Office are thankful to hear that Vaughn is doing well.
“He’s a good guy that we have worked with for many, many years and we are happy to hear that he is going to be okay.”
Special Agent in Charge with the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation Adam DeCamp says interviews are still being conducted but official charges will be coming for Messner in this case. DeCamp says Messner was transported to a hospital but he was not aware of any injuries he sustained.
Raccoon Valley Radio will bring you more information as it becomes official.