WATERLOO – A man who once shot an officer in the face held police at bay in Waterloo this week, only to be subdued after a gas attack.
On January 17th, 2019 at approximately 11:40 PM Waterloo Police received a report of an assault that had occurred at 1233 Downing Avenue, Waterloo. After speaking with the victim, officers made several attempts to contact the suspect at 1233 Downing and no one would respond to the door. Waterloo Officers then requested and were issued warrants for the arrest of Mitchell Langel age 51 for Domestic Assault and 1stDegree Harassment.
Officers were still unable to make contact with Langel at 1233 Downing and a search warrant was requested and granted to enter 1233 Downing Ave, Waterloo. Because Langel was inside the house and refusing to come out after multiple requests and information the officers had received from witnesses the Waterloo Police Tactical Unit responded to serve the search warrant.
At approximately 9:45 AM Tactical Unit Officers were in the process of deploying gas into the residence when Mitchell Langel exited the residence and was taken into custody without further incident at 9:48 AM.
According to court documents, on November 19, 1998, Langel’s mother called the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and stated Langel intended to commit suicide and he had a shotgun. The sheriff’s office was already aware of Langel because they intended to serve him with civil commitment papers that day. Members of the Cedar Rapids Police Department were called to assist the sheriff’s office.
Langel refused to respond to officers or to come out of his apartment. Officers surrounded the apartment and tried to discuss matters with Langel. After several hours, in order to conduct surveillance, Police Captain Philip Peters crawled into Langel’s apartment through the attic. Langel shot Peters, causing injuries, including the loss of vision in one eye.
Langel was charged with attempted murder; he raised a defense of diminished responsibility. On the day of trial, upon the advice of counsel, Langel waived his right to a jury trial. The district court found Langel guilty of the crimes charged. He was sentenced to indeterminate terms of twenty-five years and ten years, to be served concurrently. Langel’s convictions were upheld on appeal.
