Deputy injured in scuffle with suspect

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BY CHUCK VANDENBERG
PCC EDITOR

LEE COUNTY - A Lee County Sheriff deputy suffered an injury Monday evening in a scuffle with a suspect after a traffic stop west of Denmark.

Lee County Sheriff Stacy Weber declined to give the deputy's name but said the altercation occurred after deputies stopped an RV at the intersection of Hwy. 218 and Hwy. 16.

LeeComm dispatchers received a report of a recreational vehicle swerving on the roadway early Monday evening and deputies initiated a stop.

After the stop, the driver allegedly admitted to having marijuana in the vehicle and deputies initiated at K9 air sniff. Weber said the driver, Jody Morgan, 45, of Sigourney, then became combative with deputies one of whom was who injured in the scuffle. He was taken to Fort Madison Community Hospital where he was treated and released.

MORGAN

During the scuffle, deputies, with an assist from the K9 on scene, subdued Morgan and he was taken into custody.

"We pulled him over on suspicion of OWI and when he found out deputies were going to search his vehicle he started to ignore orders," Weber said.

After reviewing the body camera footage of a deputy, Weber said he counted more than 20 times deputies gave Morgan verbal instructions that he ignored.

"One command should be enough and the deputies did everything they could to get him under control," Weber said.

"Once he got bit, he laid down, but he wouldn't give up his keys and there was more of a struggle, but there was no further dog deployment."

Weber said Morgan allegedly admitted to having marijuana on him and then deputies were up front about the pending search, which is when Morgan took exception to the search making deputies suspicious.

An Iowa State Patrol officer arrived at the scene to process Morgan into Lee County Jail as Weber took the deputy to FMCH.

Morgan is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

denmark, deputy, injured, K9, lee county sheriff, Pen City Current

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