Deputy seriously injured in Iowa traffic stop shooting; suspect killed

A sheriff’s deputy was seriously injured and a suspect was killed during a high-risk traffic stop in eastern Iowa, according to officials.

The incident took place at approximately 4:25 a.m. on Tuesday when law enforcement agencies from multiple jurisdictions—including the Dubuque County and Jones County sheriff’s offices, Dubuque Police, Iowa State Narcotics Enforcement, and Monticello Police—stopped a vehicle on Highway 151, north of the Highway 136 interchange, as part of a multi-agency investigation.

According to a press release, the suspect, an adult man and the only occupant of the vehicle, produced a handgun during the stop and fired, striking a Dubuque County deputy. Officers returned fire, fatally wounding the suspect, who was pronounced dead after being transported from the scene.

The injured deputy was initially taken to MercyOne Emergency Department in Dubuque before being transferred to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Authorities said the deputy remains in serious but stable condition.

The deputies and officers involved have been placed on critical incident leave in accordance with standard protocol. Authorities said there is no ongoing threat to the public. The names of the injured deputy and the suspect have not been released.

The shooting occurred near Monticello, Iowa, a rural area northeast of Cedar Rapids and roughly 35 miles west of Dubuque, near the tri-state border with Illinois and Wisconsin.