Officer hurt in Dubuque shootout released from hospital; search continues for one suspect

Lt. Scott Baxter was released from a Dubuque hospital today and is described as being in "good spirits," recovering from a gunshot wound during a shootout with two armed robbers on Thursday afternoon.

Police have one suspect in custody. He, too, is hospitalized with a gunshot injury and remains in intensive care, police said on Friday. No charges have been filed against the suspect, who has not been identified.

Police were called to Knicker's Saloon, at 2186 Central Ave., at 12:52 p.m. Thursday when two men in ski marks armed with shotguns entered the bar and ordered everyone to lie on the floor.

Terry Tobin, acting police chief, said one of the men exchanged gunfire with Baxter after leaving the bar.

The other suspect being sought by police is described as a 20- to 30-year old black male between 5 foot 5 inches and 5 foot 9 inches tall. He was wearing white or light-colored tennis shoes and dark jeans with stitching or a pattern on the pockets. He also was wearing a tan Carhartt-style hooded coat but may not have it now since a coat like that was found in the area.

Several schools in the area locked down for a short time after the shootout and some school buses ran late. No employees or customers in Knicker's were injured during the robbery.

Mandy Molzof, who was in Knicker's at the time, said she got down on the floor when ordered, pulled out her cell phone “and tried calling (9-1-1) several times and it wouldn't go through.”

Another customer, Kenneth Schmidt, said, “Oh, when he poked me in the back with the shotgun, yeah, I was scared. He said I didn't get down low enough for him and he didn't like it.”

Anyone with information related to the robbery or the suspects is asked to call Dubuque police at (563) 589-4415.

-- Katie Wiedemann, KCRG-TV9