Lang
7/12/20
A transient who injured an Iowa City police officer with BB gun fire last year has been given a suspended sentence.
Judge Paul Miller accepted a plea deal on Thursday in the case of 25-year-old Cierra Lewis. On Friday he sentenced Lewis to a two-year suspended sentence, two years of probation and a suspended fine of $625.
Lewis had been charged with Assault with a Weapon Against Peace Officers and Willful Injury Causing Serious Injury after she shot ICPD officer Michael Clark repeatedly in the face with a BB gun on July 29th, 2019. Clark responded by shooting Lewis with his firearm. The exchange 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, allegedly stole a dollar out of a tip jar.
Lewis was located at a bus shelter near the Riverside Drive/Ruppert Road intersection. That’s where she and Clark exchanged fire. The two were transported to a local hospital and released the next day.
As part of the plea deal, the Willful Injury charge was dropped, and Lewis agreed to plead guilty to the assault charge. If convicted on both original charges, Lewis could have faced a maximum of over 15 years in prison.
