CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Body camera footage released by the Cedar Rapids Police Department shows the moment officers exchanged gunfire with a man during an 11-hour standoff.
Christopher Kern, 49, pleaded guilty on April 4 to three counts of attempted murder of a peace officer after firing at Cedar Rapids police who were trying to arrest him on outstanding warrants, according to CBS2 Iowa.
On April 18, Kern was sentenced to 50 years in prison without the possibility of parole. Sixth Judicial District Judge Jason Besler described the crime as “heinous and horrible,” stating that it was “luck or grace” that no officers were killed or injured, The Gazette reported.
The standoff occurred on Feb. 19 at the Chelsea Apartments, located near the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Kern had been staying at the apartment with a tenant who initially denied his presence to police but later admitted Kern was inside with firearms, narcotics and body armor. When officers attempted to make contact, Kern fired at them.
Officers informed Kern they were positioned in the hallway, taking cover for their safety. At one point, Kern stepped out of the apartment armed with a rifle and began firing at them, video shows. Officers returned fire as Kern retreated and continued shooting by pointing his weapon through the open doorway.
While still inside the apartment, Kern fired rounds into an interior wall, attempting to strike officers positioned in the hallway. Over the next several hours, he ignored repeated negotiation attempts from law enforcement urging him to surrender, police said.
Eventually, officers breached the door and deployed a robot into the apartment. The robot located Kern hiding under a bedspread. He was taken into custody without further incident.
Kern also reportedly told his son during the incident that he intended to die by officer fire.
Police recovered three firearms near Kern: an AR-15 rifle used during the standoff, a 9 mm Taurus handgun and a .32 caliber revolver.
Kern has a prior felony conviction for willful injury in Polk County and is prohibited from possessing firearms, according to The Gazette.
