A Fort Madison man is behind bars after police say he stole tools, rammed a squad car twice and pointed a gun at an officer.
In a news release from the City of West Burlington, on July 12 at about 1:11 p.m., West Burlington police officers were called to Harbor Freight, in the 100 block of W. Agency Road, regarding a theft. Dispatch told officers that a suspect had stolen a welder and tool bag from the store and left in a Dodge Durango SUV, heading westbound on Agency Road.
A short time later, deputies with the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office found the vehicle coming out of the Menards parking lot, located in the 600 block of Agency Road., the release said. Deputies stopped the SUV in the Westland Mall parking lot and found the stolen merchandise from Harbor Freight in the back of the vehicle. When officers tried to have the occupants leave the vehicle, a man in the backseat, later identified as Tyler Keith Jennings, 36 of Fort Madison, jumped into the front driver’s seat and drove away. A vehicle pursuit ensued, and the SUV eventually jumped the curb at West Burlington Avenue and Van Weiss Boulevard and drove up onto the grass.
Jennings turned the vehicle around, facing westbound towards West Burlington Avenue. When officers stopped their squad car on West Burlington Avenue near the east curbing, Jennings rammed the passenger side of a West Burlington Police Department squad car with an officer inside, the release says. He backed up as officers were exiting the squad and rammed the passenger side again, causing damage. The SUV then fled southbound on West Burlington Avenue, where it was involved in a traffic accident at the roundabout at West Burlington Avenue and West Avenue. As officers approached the vehicle, they saw Jennings grab a gun and point it in the officer’s direction. After a short standoff, Jennings was taken into custody.
Jennings was arrested and charged with criminal mischief 2nd, theft 4th degree, felony eluding, driving under suspension, failure to provide proof of financial responsibility and stop sign violation and taken to the Des Moines County Jail.
According to the news release, a preliminary estimate says over $1,500 in damage was done to the squad car, but the department is still waiting on an official estimate.
