Marion man shot by police taken from hospital to jail

The hammer-wielding Marion man who was shot by a police officer Saturday has been released from the hospital and taken to the Linn County Jail.

Christopher A. Lang, 41, was released Wednesday afternoon from St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids and was immediately arrested, police said. Lang was shot in the right side of his torso Saturday night in Marion after he tried to strike officers with a hammer, police said.

Police had been called to Lang's residence, 925 10

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St., when an assault was reported. Officers learned Lang had assaulted his female roommate, the roommate's teenage son and the roommate's sister. None of the injuries were serious, and three officers went inside to confront Lang.

Marion Police Chief Harry Daugherty said Lang met officers while holding a hammer and a broken bottle, and ignored eight to 10 commands to drop them. One of the officers discharged a Taser toward Lang. It knocked Lang down, but he got back up and tried to strike officers with the hammer, police said.

That's when one of the officers, whose identity has not been made public, fired his weapon.

The officer who shot Lang remains on paid administrative leave. Daugherty has said it appears the gunshot was justified, but an internal team of commanders is reviewing the incident.

Lang is expected to make an initial appearance in court Thursday. He faces several charges, including assault with a weapon on a peace officer and two counts of assault with injury.