Cedar Rapids man faces charges in Aug. 5 officer involved shooting

A 22-year-old Cedar Rapids man faces an array of charges in connection with an Aug. 5 incident in which he was shot by police following a pursuit in Cedar Rapids.

Aaron T. Rich, 22, was taken into custody and transferred to the Linn County Jail on Monday. He had been receiving treatment at an area hospital after sustaining injuries in the Aug. 5 incident. Rich is expected to make an initial appearance Tuesday in Linn County District Court.

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Cedar Rapids Police released additional details about the Aug. 5 incident, which remains under investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Rich is accused of stealing a handgun from the Theisen’s, at 3111 16th Ave. SW and leaving the store on foot, police said in a news release. He got into the front passenger seat of an SUV nearby.

Cedar Rapids Police stopped the SUV in the parking lot of a nearby Kum & Go at 2604 16th Ave. SW, located at the same intersection of Williams Blvd. SW & 16th St. SW. During the traffic stop, the driver of the SUV, who hasn’t been identified, exited the car and Rich jumped into the driver’s seat and began to flee the scene.

Rich drove through the Kum & Go lot and an adjacent McDonald’s parking lot. Rich slowed the vehicle in the lot and a 4-year-old child exited from the rear driver side of the SUV. Rich then continued to flee from police and eventually drove off the roadway through an apartment complex at Oak Hill Manor, 1300 15th St. SE. Officers were able to disable Rich’s vehicle at the complex.

Rich pointed the stolen handgun through the open driver side window at officers, police allege, which is when officers fired shots.

Documents released Monday afternoon don’t detail the number of shots fired in the incident. Four Cedar Rapids Police Officers remain on critical incident leave in connection with the incident, a press release Monday said.

Rich faces the following charges in connection with the incident: fourth-degree theft, felon in possession of a firearm, trafficking stolen weapons, two counts of assault on a peace officer using a dangerous weapon, two counts of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, two counts of assault while participating in a felony, child endangerment, attempted eluding, reckless driving, driving while barred, and two counts of interference with official acts with a weapon. He remains in the Linn County Jail without bond and is expected to make an initial appearance in Linn County District Court Tuesday morning.

Rich was on probation from a 2023 conviction on first-degree burglary charges in Tama County. There were arrest warrants in connection with a probation violation and voluntary absence from custody after he left the Lary Nelson Residential Treatment Center in Cedar Rapids back in May.