ALGONA, Iowa- A police officer was tragically killed in the line of duty while attempting to make an arrest on Wednesday evening, according to local law enforcement officials. The officer, identified as 33-year-old Kevin Cram, had dedicated ten years of his life to serving in law enforcement.
Cram, who had been with the Algona Police Department since 2015, was pursuing 43-year-old Kyle Ricke, a man with an active arrest warrant. The warrant, issued by authorities in Palo Alto County, approximately 25 miles west of Algona, was related to harassment charges. Cram had reportedly received information about Ricke’s possible whereabouts and was acting on this intelligence at the time of the incident.
Upon locating Ricke, Officer Cram attempted to place him under arrest. It was during this encounter that Ricke allegedly shot Cram, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Following the shooting, Ricke reportedly hurled abusive language at the fallen officer. Cram was rushed to Kossuth Regional Health Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
Ricke, who had a history of arrests and court violations, was apprehended near Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, shortly before midnight on Thursday. He is now facing first-degree murder charges in Kossuth County, Iowa, and is expected to be extradited back to Iowa for trial.
Prior to the fatal incident, Ricke had been charged with third-degree harassment in August, following allegations of inappropriate conduct towards a former partner via text messages and emails. He was arrested and charged on August 27, and was released from the Kossuth County Jail two days later after posting bond.
Before joining the Algona Police Department, Cram had served for two years at the Nora Springs Police Department. His death marks a tragic loss for the law enforcement community in northern Iowa.