An inmate who escaped from an Iowa prison's minimum-security lodge shot a Taylor County Sheriff's deputy two days later and remains the target of a law enforcement manhunt.
Rodney Eugene Long escaped from the Clarinda Correctional Facility Friday morning. On Sunday evening, he shot Deputy Dan Wyckoff twice after the deputy encountered him on Highway 2 about a mile and a half east of New Market, reports the Des Moines Register.
Long shot Deputy Wyckoff twice—in the left arm and abdominal area. The deputy was wearing a ballistic vest that likely saved his life.
After the shooting, the 38-year-old Long stole the deputy's patrol vehicle, a marked pickup truck. Long engaged other deputies during a 40-minute pursuit before crashing the vehicle into a ditch and fleeing on foot from pursuing officers. The deputy is expected to recover.
The Iowa State Patrol and Nebraska State Patrol have been providing air support during the search for Long.