Iowa officer shot 'multiple times' in face with BB gun shoots suspect, police say

IOWA CITY, Iowa — An Iowa police officer is in stable condition after being shot several times in the face with a BB gun, KCRG reported.

>> Read more trending news

Update 2:55 p.m. EDT July 31: Iowa City police arrested Cierra M. Lewis, 25, of Iowa City, after she was released from an area hospital, The Gazette of Cedar Rapids reported.

Lewis was charged with willful injury causing serious injury, and assault with a weapon on a peace officer, according to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Authorities said Lewis was suspected of shoplifting at a business in Iowa City on Monday afternoon, the Gazette reported. Police said Lewis refused an officer's commands and shot him multiple times in the face, the newspaper reported. Police later said the weapon was a BB gun, according to the Gazette.

The DCI said it will interview the police officer who was injured, the newspaper reported.

Original report: Both the officer, who returned fire with his gun, and his alleged assailant were hospitalized, The Gazette of Cedar Rapids reported. Neither person was publicly identified by police. The condition of the alleged assailant was not known.

“It sounds like he (officer) will be OK,” Iowa City police Capt. Denise Brotherton told the newspaper.

The incident occurred Monday afternoon in Iowa City, KCRG reported. Police responded to a shoplifting complaint at 3:29 p.m.

Police said a suspect was located near the business. As the investigation continued an Iowa City police officer was shot several times in the face with a weapon, the television station reported.

The officer returned fire and struck the alleged assailant, according to KCRG. Police determined later the officer had been hit with pellets from a BB gun.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is reviewing the incident, the Gazette reported.

Cox Media Group