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Police: Man tried to shoot out tires of semi in Iowa City

cigaretteman

HR King
May 29, 2001
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A Des Moines man was arrested Wednesday in North Liberty after he reportedly tried to shoot out the tires of a semi-truck, led police on a 14-mile chase and then attempted to break into a squad car.


Lorenza Cartez Johnson, 39, is charged with second-degree robbery, second-degree criminal mischief, eluding, interfering with official acts, operating while intoxicated and driving while license suspended.


Law enforcement was called around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday for a report that Johnson had tried to shoot out the tires of a semi-truck. Iowa City Police found Johnson’s vehicle and attempted to pull him over. He led officers on a 14-mile chase that ended when stop sticks were deployed in North Liberty near the ramp to 250th St. from I-380, according to criminal complaints.


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After Johnson’s car was stopped, he reportedly tried to steal an unmarked squad car, which had a civilian passenger inside. He attempted to break the windows of the car with a tire iron, and when he wasn’t able to get into that car, he swung the tire iron at a different squad car and broke the windshield, the complaints state.


Johnson was taken into custody after being wrestled to the ground. Complaints state that he was talking non-stop but not making sense. He was taken to a hospital to be evaluated before being booked into the Johnson County Jail, where’s he’s being held on a $35,000 bond.

 
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