Officer Kevin Cram dies after shooting in Algona; called a hero by Iowa public safety chief

ALGONA, Iowa — A police officer was shot and killed in northern Iowa on Wednesday while trying to serve an arrest warrant, setting off an intense hours-long manhunt for the suspect while residents in Algona were warned to shelter in place and lock their doors.

Algona police officer Kevin Cram, 33, had told 43-year-old Kyle Ricke he was going to be arrested at about 8 p.m. when Ricke allegedly shot Cram with a handgun, Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said at a Thursday morning news conference.

Cram died at a local hospital. Ricke was captured and arrested shortly before midnight in Minnesota, then charged in Kossuth County with first-degree murder.

Cram was a police officer in Iowa for 10 years and with the Algona Police Department since 2015, Mortvedt said. He also was a father and husband.

Stephan Bayens, commissioner of the Iowa Department of Public Safety, said at the news conference that Cram was a beacon of light who died a hero.

"The law enforcement community in Kossuth County is hurting, but they are not broken. They are shaken, but they are not broken," he said. "Their hearts are heavy, but they will continue to honor Kevin's legacy by being that beacon of light in their communities."

An attempted arrest turns deadly in Algona

Mortvedt said Cram was on patrol in Algona, a town of about 5,300 residents in northern Iowa, when he was notified of the arrest warrant for a harassment charge out of Palo Alto County.

Cram went to a home on Minnesota Street, where he believed Ricke could be. Mortvedt said it's unclear whether it was Ricke's home or a family member's. That's where Cram told Ricke he would be arrested.

After shooting Cram, Ricke said "too late mother f-----," according to court documents. Court documents say Ricke also told police "I did it 'cuz I am tired of this s---."

Mortvedt said he could not say whether there were any other witnesses to the incident as the investigation continues.

Cram was found by other officers and emergency responders and taken to Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona, where he was pronounced dead. The state medical examiner will perform an autopsy on Cram.

The manhunt for a police officer's shooter

After the shooting, Ricke fled and a manhunt ensued, during which Algona residents were asked to lock their doors and vehicles and stay inside. The search included drones and police aircraft with law enforcement from Iowa and Minnesota.

Law enforcement issued a Blue Alert after Cram was shot. The notification system is similar to an Amber Alert, but it is sent to agencies registered with the Iowa Department of Public Safety to help apprehend someone suspected of killing or seriously injuring an officer on duty, according to Iowa law. It is also used if an officer goes missing while working.

Discovered that Ricke had fled north into Minnesota, authorities found him just before midnight in rural Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, according to a news release from the Brown County Sheriff's Office. Deputies there took Ricke into custody without incident. The area is about two hours north of Algona and to the west of Mankato.

Ricke will be extradited back to Iowa at a later date.

What happened before Ricke's arrest

Ricke had been in court earlier Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to a charge of third-degree harassment out of Kossuth County. He was accused of contacting a victim several times over the course of two hours and again several days later after police told him not to.

On Thursday morning, law enforcement was still processing the scene of the slaying in an otherwise quiet community. Caution tape blocked off access to a wooded area down a hill near the house where the shooting happened off a gravel road that appears to be just outside Algona city limits. The site is near a ravine behind a residential neighborhood on the south side of town.

Robert Nelton, who lives up the street from where the shooting happened, said he was home during the incident. He didn’t hear the shooting but said his daughter and wife did.

Soon, he was following the manhunt for Ricke on a police scanner through the night. An officer came to his home and told him to keep the doors locked.

It was “unreal,” Nelton said.

Neighbors told to stay in their homes during manhunt

Neighbors told the Register that an officer was stationed at the nearby intersection with a long gun. They watched various agency vehicles and officers go past their homes to the site of the incident.

They also said they saw a drone fly overhead. Officers were still out at the scene in Algona late into the night Wednesday, even after Ricke was arrested in Minnesota, they said.

Neighbors near the shooting site said the killing was a sad and unexpected event for a small town like Algona. A memorial for Cram with flowers, an American flag and a poem were left at the Kossuth County Law Enforcement Center Thursday afternoon.

An insurance company downtown put on its message board: "Prayers for our community, our police department and EMS, and to all friends and family of Officer Kevin Cram." It also showed a police seal memorializing Cram.

Cram's death came on the 10-year anniversary of the shooting death of Officer Jamie Buenting, a Rockwell City police officer. Buenting and a team of officers were attempting to arrest Corey Trott on a warrant for a reported attack on Trott's mother when he was shot. Trott was sentenced to life in prison about a year later.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird released a statement expressing sadness for the loss of a law enforcement officer and honoring his and others' sacrifices.

"Officer Cram wore the badge with honor to serve and protect," she said. "As we mourn his heartbreaking loss, we remember Officer Cram’s selfless service and keep his family in our prayers."

The state's congressional delegation also posted condolences on social media. "Please join me in saying an extra prayer for our men and women in blue today," Sen. Joni Ernst said.

Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered all flags in Iowa to be flown at half-staff Friday in Cram's memory.

“Officer Kevin Cram died a hero, protecting his community and upholding the rule of law. Kevin and I are praying for his family, the Algona Police Department, and all the law enforcement officers in Kossuth County,” Reynolds said in a statement. “As flags are lowered across the state, Iowans honor Officer Cram’s legacy and stand united with his brothers and sisters in uniform. We will never forget his service and sacrifice.”

Chris Higgins covers the eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Algona police officer Kevin Cram, shot by suspect in northern Iowa, dies