A state trooper injured in August by gunfire after a fatal shooting in Stuart was released from the hospital, according to an update from the Iowa State Patrol.
Iowa State Trooper Chase Carruthers was among the first to respond to a call of shots fired in Stuart on Aug. 18. Court filings said Austin Reed, 46, of Stuart, fired at law enforcement and struck Carruthers.
Reed allegedly shot and killed Toni Elena-Ann Salazar, 42, before police arrived. Court filings state that around 3:34 p.m. on Aug. 18, multiple 911 calls were received about an active shooter at the 200 block of Southwest Sixth Street. A witness was standing near a gazebo in the area talking to Salazar when Reed came up behind them and shot her with a shotgun, the filing said.
Reed was then taken into custody without further incident. Carruthers was taken to a Des Moines-area hospital and underwent emergency surgery, according to the court documents.
"After several weeks of recovery in the hospital following his line-of-duty shooting, Trooper Carruthers was released today to continue his recovery at home," a social media post from the Iowa State Patrol posted on Friday, Sept. 11, reads. "The family is grateful for the privacy and support shown during this difficult time and respectfully asks that privacy continue as Trooper Carruthers focuses on his recovery."
Reed is charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder of a peace officer. Murder in the first degree is a Class A felony, which can carry a life sentence without possibility of parole. Attempted murder of a peace officer is a Class B felony and can carry a sentence of up to 25 years in prison.
Reed was originally held on a $1 million bond, but was later changed to be held without bail. An Aug. 27 court filing shows Reed waived his right to a preliminary hearing and asked for an arraignment date to be set by the court. A court appearance has not been filed.
Register reporter Isabelle Foland contributed to this article.
Kyle Werner is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. Reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Trooper hit in Stuart shooting released after over 3 weeks in hospital