Suspect sought after shooting at Iowa store wounds deputy

The search was ongoing for him Monday and involved numerous agencies.We have identified a person of interest and if we do not locate him this morning, we will be asking the public for their assistance, said Gardner, adding that he expected to release the mans identity later in the day.Overnight, authorities had asked people who live near Coggon to stay inside and lock their doors.

Authorities searched Monday for a man who shot and wounded a sheriff's deputy during an armed robbery at a gas station in rural eastern Iowa.

Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner said Monday that the deputy was hospitalised with serious injuries but in stable condition. He said it was the first shooting of one of his office's deputies since 1973.

The deputy responded shortly after a report of an alarm at 10:19 pm Sunday at Casey's General Store in Coggon, a town of 700 people about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Cedar Rapids, the sheriff said. The man opened fire and the deputy was struck by multiple rounds.

The man, believed to be in his 30s, fled in a van and was pursued by another deputy until the suspect crashed and fled on foot. The search was ongoing for him Monday and involved numerous agencies.

"We have identified a person of interest and if we do not locate him this morning, we will be asking the public for their assistance," said Gardner, adding that he expected to release the man's identity later in the day.

Overnight, authorities had asked people who live near Coggon to stay inside and lock their doors. Gardner said they need to remain cautious and "call us if they see anything unusual." The wounded deputy was flown to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City for treatment, and wasn't immediately identified by authorities. Coggon Mayor Heather Beeh said residents were worried overnight as the manhunt continued.

"It was just a lot of waiting and you never know what's going to happen," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)