AP/Lang
9/15/19
A judge has ordered a mental competency evaluation for a woman accused of injuring an Iowa City police officer with BB gun fire.
ICPD officer Michael Clark shot 25-year-old Cierra Lewis after she shot him repeatedly in the face with a BB gun on July 29th. The shooting happened after officers responded to a shoplifting incident at Starbucks on Highway 1 West just before 3:30 that afternoon. The suspect, later identified as Lewis, was located at a bus shelter across from the Riverside Drive/Ruppert Road intersection. That’s where the two exchanged fire.
Lewis and Clark were transported to a local hospital and released the next day.
Lewis’ attorney, Quint Meyerdirk, tells the Press-Citizen that he doesn’t believe she is mentally fit enough to participate in her own defense. She’s charged with assault and willful injury. If convicted on both charges, Lewis faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Lewis will be evaluated by a psychologist at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville.
Clark’s involvement is being reviewed by the Johnson County Attorney’s Office.
