DAVENPORT, Iowa -- The trial for a 21-year-old man accused of ramming into a police vehicle leaving the Buffalo police chief seriously injured began Tuesday, June 26.
Logan Shoemaker faced several charges from the September 2017 incident, including attempted murder and willful injury. Police had been pursuing Shoemaker and Police Chief TJ Behning was placing stop sticks to try and slow his vehicle, that's when Shoemaker allegedly ran into Behning's vehicle, causing the vehicle to hit and injure Behning.
The prosecution is asking the jury to find Shoemaker guilty of those charges, but the defense said this is not a case of attempted murder.
"Back in September of 2017 the defendant was on a path of total destruction," said Assistant Scott Attorney Kimberly Shepherd, while addressing the jury. "He was not going to be stopped by anyone or for anything."
"Logan is not guilty of attempted murder," said defense attorney Derek Jones. "He was not trying to hit Chief Behning. He's not guilty of willful injury, he wasn't trying to hurt Chief Behning."
A witness, Katie Hutchison, said she had called police multiple times on Shoemaker, saying that he had been damaging vehicles at her apartment and threatening her safety. She said Shoemaker had smashed in her car windshield and also rammed the side of it.
Shoemaker was facing 13 charges out of Scott County, and has pleaded guilty to eight of them, including theft and criminal mischief.
