WEBSTER CITY, Iowa—A jury on Monday convicted a man of first-degree murder in the shooting death of an Iowa State Patrol trooper last year.
Michael Lang, 42, was also found guilty of attempted murder and assaulting a police officer for his actions on April 9, 2021, that killed 51-year-old patrol Sgt. Jim Smith in Grundy Center, a city of nearly 3,000 people about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northeast of Des Moines. He faces a mandatory term of life in prison without the possibility of parole when he’s sentenced.
Smith, a 27-year patrol veteran, was shot as he led a team of officers into Lang’s home in Grundy Center. Lang had barricaded himself inside the home after he assaulted another officer during a traffic stop that day, police said. Lang was also shot by officers but has recovered.
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