COUNCIL BLUFFS – As the investigation into Sunday’s officer involved shooting incident continues, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is now releasing the names of all individuals involved.
On Sunday, August 4, 2013 at approximately 4:43 PM, an unidentified woman informed Council Bluffs Police Officers Aaron Gutierrez and Jason Burleigh that she had just seen a suspicious individual at the site of the new Wal-Mart in Council Bluffs. She told the officers that the man was acting suspicious and was bleeding from his hands.
Officers Gutierrez and Burleigh responded to the construction site where they encountered 52 year old Michael Hannum. Hannum was bleeding from his wrists and armed with a sharp, cutting instrument. Throughout the encounter, Hannum did not respond to verbal commands from Officers Gutierrez and Burleigh. He became aggressive towards the officers. This aggression moved Officer Burleigh to deploy his TASER. This attempt to subdue Hannum was unsuccessful. Hannum continued to advance toward the officers, at which time Officer Gutierrez fired is duty weapon, striking Hannum two times.
Hannum was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center where he remains in critical but stable condition.
In accordance with the police department’s policy, Officers Gutierrez and Burleigh will remain on paid, administrative leave until the conclusion of the investigation into this incident.
On Friday, Hannum had been listed as a fugitive from the Federal Bureau of Prisons – Federal Residential Reentry Center in Council Bluffs. At the time of the encounter, the officers did not know the identity of Hannum.
To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, the Council Bluffs Police Department requested DCI review the incident. At the conclusion of the investigation, the DCI investigative report will be turned over to Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber for his office’s review of the incident.
Law enforcement officials are looking for the woman who originally alerted Officers Gutierrez and Burleigh to the suspicious person. This citizen should contact DCI at 712-322-1585 or the Council Bluffs Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.
