Man shot after pointing rifle at Coralville police identified

CORALVILLE - Authorities have identified the man shot by Coralville police after he pointed a rifle at officers Thursday morning.

Joseph George Maser, 47, remains hospitalized at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Coralville police were called to the 2400 block of Dempster Drive around 9:54 a.m. Thursday for a welfare check. Officers reported hearing a gunshot at the scene, but made contact with Maser, who was the lone occupant of the home.

Police said they had contact on and off with Maser for the next 70 minutes. They tried to convince him to accept help, but Maser allegedly threatened to harm himself and officers at the scene.

Maser eventually appeared at the front door of the home and appeared willing to surrender, police said. However, he instead retreated into the home, reemerged from the garage and pointed a rifle at the officers.

At this point, one of the officers fired two rounds as Maser. He was hit twice in the upper torso, police said.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, is not yet identifying the officer who fired the shots.

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