Linn County inmate escapes sheriff’s transport, steals SUV before being caught

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man, charged in December with burglary, theft and gun charges, assaulted a Linn County sheriff’s deputy Tuesday as he escaped from a routine medical transport, fled on foot and stole an SUV before being nabbed, authorities said.

Tyler Glen Deemer, 34, escaped from a sheriff’s vehicle about 12:52 p.m. and fled from the area of the 900 block of Eighth Avenue SE. He was wearing an orange jail jumpsuit and was in handcuffs and leg restraints.

A short time later, residents reported that a man, later identified as Deemer, had stolen a silver Ford Edge SUV from the 900 block of 10th Street SE, according to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s deputies located Deemer in the stolen vehicle about 1:56 p.m. in the area of Robins and Boyson roads in Hiawatha. Law enforcement from several area agencies pursued the SUV westbound on Boyson Road. Deemer eventually ran the vehicle in the ditch on Carpenter Road near Indian Road NE and ran on foot. He was arrested after a brief chase about 2 p.m.

Tyler Glen Deemer is now back in custody after a brief vehicle pursuit and foot chase. He fled the original search area after stealing a vehicle. He was caught in near the area of Blairs Ferry Rd and Edgewood Rd NE. https://t.co/Xt5ge9xqAk

— LinnCountySheriff (@LinnIASheriff) February 8, 2022

On Tuesday evening, after consulting with the Linn County Attorney’s Office, the sheriff’s office sent out a list of charges: first-degree robbery, a Class B felony; first-degree burglary, a Class B felony; three counts of third-degree kidnapping, a Class C felony; three counts of false imprisonment, a serious misdemeanor; second-degree theft, a Class D felony; third-degree theft, an aggravated misdemeanor; escape from custody, a Class D felony; assault on a peace officer, a serious misdemeanor; interference with official acts, a simple misdemeanor; and assault while participating in a felony, a Class D felony.

Deemer had been in jail since December on charges of first-degree burglary, two counts of first-degree theft, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of short-barreled shotgun, trafficking in stolen weapons, interference with official acts while possessing a firearm, assault while displaying a dangerous weapon, possession of a controlled substance — methamphetamine, and drunken driving.

In that incident, officers responded to a welfare call Dec. 30 at Thomas Park in Marion and found Deemer slumped over in a vehicle, according to a complaint. Officers determined the vehicle was stolen and saw an open bottle of whiskey near the driver’s side. When Deemer awoke, he fled the scene, rear-ending another vehicle as he left.

Deemer abandoned the vehicle and broke into a residence with a rifle in the 800 block of Greenfield Street NE in Cedar Rapids, the complaint stated. He fled from that residence and attempted to steal a green Ford F-150 pickup from another house in the 900 block of Fernwood Drive NE.

Officers found two other firearms in the vehicle he was driving, which he can’t legally possess because he is a felon, according to the complaint.

Deemer is in jail under a $50,000 bail after Tuesday’s escape.

Agencies assisting the sheriff’s office Tuesday were the Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha police departments, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Iowa State Patrol and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

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