Police: Marion officer fired at man armed with hammer

MARION – A Marion police officer shot and wounded a man Saturday night after police say the man attacked a group of officers with a hammer and a broken bottle.

Marion Police Chief Harry Daugherty said at a press conference today that Christopher A. Lang, 41, of 925 10th St., in Marion is recovering at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids after sustaining a gunshot wound to the right torso. His injuries are not considered life threatening, Daugherty said.

None of three officers involved in the incident were identified. The officer who fired the shot has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure.

Lang is charged with assault with a weapon on a peace officer, assault with a weapon, two counts of assault with injury and interference with official acts.

According to Daugherty the incident occurred at about 8:45 p.m. Saturday and Lang's residence. Officers were responding to a report of an out of control male, he said. Those offices met three people outside the home who said Lang assaulted them. Lang was inside the home when officers arrived.

The officers went into the home to speak with Lang who was in an upstairs area. Lang did not come down so the offices went upstairs. Lang met the officers with a hammer in one hand and a broken bottle in the other, Daugherty said.

“Mr. Lang was given numerous commands to drop the hammer and broken bottle. Mr. Lang refused to comply with the officers' commands,” Daugherty said.

At that point, one of the officers fired a Taser toward Lang.

“Mr. Lang went down briefly, then got up and started to approach the officers. He then tried to strike the officers with the hammer,” Daugherty said.

That is when one of the Marion officers filed a single gunshot that hit Lang.

“We used voice commands and it didn't work. We used a Taser and it didn't work. And he still tried to approach the officers. At that point, (the officers) felt - he felt - he only had one option left.”

Police said the three people who claimed to be assaulted by Lang were his roommates – two females who are sisters and a male who is the son of one of the women.

Watch the press conference