Two Iowa City officers injured in foot chase of armed man

Two Iowa City Police officers were injured Saturday during a foot chase with an armed man after a woman reported that he had brandished a gun and threatened to kill someone, according to a criminal complaint against the man.

Jaquon Hemphill, 25, is charged with control of a firearm by a domestic abuse offender, control of a firearm by a felon, interference with official acts, failure to affix drug stamp, controlled substance violation, first-degree harassment, assault while displaying a dangerous weapon, and unlawful possession of a prescription drug.

According to criminal complaints, Iowa City Police responded to The Quarters apartment complex, at 2401 Highway 6 East, at about 3:18 a.m. on Saturday after a woman called to report that Hemphill had displayed a handgun during an altercation and threatened to kill someone.

Officers found Hemphill in a nearby parking lot with a blue backpack. He ran from them on foot and jumped multiple fences, and two officers who gave chase were injured. One suffered an injury to his ribs and the other broke his leg, and they both had lacerations.

Police eventually caught Hemphill nearby, and a K-9 found the blue backpack dropped along where he had run. The backpack had multiple bags of marijuana, a loaded Glock 19, and Hemphill’s wallet.

Hemphill had his first appearance in court on Saturday and is being held in the Johnson County Jail on a cash-only, $30,000 bond.

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