Trial of man accused of killing Iowa trooper to be moved
GRUNDY CENTER, Iowa (AP) — The trial for a man charged with killing an Iowa State Patrol trooper will be moved out of Grundy County but a new location for the trial has not been determined.
Prosecutors did not resist a defense request for a change of venue for the trial of Michael Thomas Lang, 42, in the death of patrol Sgt. Jim Smith, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported.
The defense argued it would be difficult to seat an unbiased jury in Grundy County.
Lang, 42, is charged with murder, attempted murder and assault on a peace office in Smith’s death in April 2021.
Authorities said Lang fled after struggling with a Grundy Center police officer during a traffic stop. He allegedly shot Smith when officers tried to enter his home to arrest him.
During a Wednesday hearing in Grundy County District Court, argued over a defense motion to have a separate trial on the assault charge.
Judge Joel Dalrymple said he would rule on the motion at a later date.
An April hearing was set on a defense motion to suppress statements Lang made during police interviews after the standoff.