Shooting incident involving Iowa City police sends man to hospital

IOWA CITY - An Iowa City police officer was placed on administrative leave after firing a handgun at a man who threatened others Sunday morning, including officers trying to calm a disturbance involving the man, authorities said.

The man who was shot, identified as Chad Eugene Newmire, 21, was taken to University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, where he was being treated Sunday afternoon for non-life threatening injuries, police said.

The officer on leave was identified as Alirio Arcenas, a 2-year veteran of the department. Police said he stopped Newmire from pulling a firearm that Newmire was carrying. Arcenas was placed on paid administrative leave, per department policy that also has the state Division of Criminal Investigation conducting the investigation into the shooting.

The incident started around 6:11 a.m. Sunday, when police were called to 1009 N. Summit St. for a welfare check of an adult male resident. A news release from the Iowa City Police Department said officers were responding to the residence at the request of a relative after the relative had received a despondent text message from the man.

Police said an Iowa City police officer arrived at 6:17 a.m. and encountered Newmire in front of the house, armed with a handgun that was tucked into the waist of his pants. Additional officers responded to the residence to assist. Police said they negotiated with the man for about 40 minutes before Newmire began making movements toward the handgun.

"One officer deployed less lethal bean bag rounds at the man and another officer deployed a taser at him. A third officer fired a handgun at the man and stopped the man from obtaining his gun," the police news release stated.

In addition to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Johnson County Attorney's Office also is investigating the incident.

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The Iowa City Police Department news release: http://www.icgov.org/default/apps/GEN/news.asp?newsID=7577