Two Iowa police officers were shot dead early Wednesday morning in ambush-style attacks while they were sitting in their patrol cars. Authorities in Iowa have called for a manhunt to locate the suspect or suspects who carried out the murders.
2 Iowa police officers killed in apparent ambush attacks: https://t.co/ooIhXrB2jf Here's @JeanCasarezCNN w/ details. https://t.co/t96pxZBrcD
— CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt (@CNNThisMorning) November 2, 2016
At 1:06 a.m., Des Moines area police officers responded to a report of shots fired. They found an Urbandale Police Department officer shot to death in his squad car at an intersection. Then 20 minutes later they police discovered a Des Moines Police Department cop in his police cruiser who had also been shot dead in a different intersection just blocks away.
The scene of the first shooting at 70th and Aurora where an officer was found shot early Wed morning. Some officers in combat gear here. pic.twitter.com/SJEUY4B3gh
— Brian Powers (@bpowersphoto) November 2, 2016
“There’s somebody out there shooting police officers. We hope to find him before somebody else gets hurt,” said Des Moines Sgt. Paul Parizek, who was fighting back tears during the press conference. “There is a clear and present danger to police officers right now.”
“On the surface right now … it doesn’t look like there was any interaction between these officers and whoever the coward is that shot them while they sat in their cars,” Parizek said. “In all appearances, it looks … that these officers were ambushed.”
#Iowa Police Sergeant gets emotional describing the scene where two of his colleagues were shot dead early this morning in an ambush attack. pic.twitter.com/bYkebqErtg
— CTV Your Morning (@YourMorning) November 2, 2016
Authorities identified Scott Michael Greene, as the suspect in the shootings that killed the officers. They said Greene, an Urbandale resident, was last seen driving a blue Ford F-150 with a silver-colored topper.
“Greene is believed to be armed and should be considered dangerous,” the Urbandale and Des Moines police departments said in a statement, urging people not to approach him but to call 911 instead.
The Des Moines police officer is believed to be the first from the city to be shot and killed on duty since two officers were gunned down in separate incidents in 1977.
[CNN]