Michael Lang convicted of murdering Iowa State Patrol sergeant during 2021 standoff

There were countless points, prosecutor Doug Hammerand told jurors in closing arguments Monday, at which Michael Lang could have made a different choice — surrendering to law enforcement officials instead of engaging in a standoff that resulted in the killing of Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Jim Smith.

Jurors apparently agreed, finding Lang guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and assault after deliberating for less than 2½  hours. He now faces life in prison.

They rejected defense attorney Aaron Hawbaker's argument that Lang had acted defensively, firing only when he saw Smith, leader of a tactical team, aiming a gun at him in the doorway of his kitchen, and later when an armored vehicle carrying troopers began breaking through the wall of his Grundy Center home.

Hammerand recounted several points in the events of April 9, 2021, at which he said Lang could have avoided or ended the confrontation: when a police officer tried to stop him for speeding, and he chose to flee; when the officer caught up to him, and Lang assaulted him; when reinforcements arrived, and Lang sped off to his home, barricading himself inside; when Smith and his team entered the home; and when troopers used the armored vehicle to force their way in, ending the nearly four-hour siege.

For subscribers:What to know as murder trial begins in the shooting death of Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Jim Smith

Instead, Lang resisted until the very end, firing a shot that struck the windshield of the armored vehicle, which the driver said could have wounded him had it penetrated the glass. It wasn't until troopers returned fire, severely wounding Lang, that they were able to arrest him.

"The defendant had time to think about it, weigh in his mind what he was going to do, and he made that decision," Hammerand said.

Tuesday's testimony:Officer testifies man charged with later killing Iowa state trooper goaded him to shoot

He said Lang's failure to surrender and his use of a deadly weapon against the team that entered his house clearly established that he acted with malice aforethought, specific intent to kill, and the other elements that make up first-degree murder.

"When you take a loaded shotgun … and you shoot someone in the chest, is that a fixed purpose or design to do harm to another? Absolutely," he told the jurors.

From Wednesday:Officers testify in trial that Michael Lang taunted them after Iowa state trooper shooting

Defense: Lang was reacting to attacks on his home

Hawbaker, the defense attorney, had asked the jurors to acquit Lang of all charges, but also pointed them toward lesser offenses they might consider in place of first-degree murder. He said the shooting of Smith was "at best … a form of manslaughter."

Lang had multiple opportunities to fire at officers outside his home, Hawbaker said, or to pursue members of the tactical team as they retreated following Smith's shooting. The only shots Lang fired, he said, came when he saw Smith aiming a gun at him, and later when the armored vehicle began breaking through his wall.

"That's when the shot rang out," Hawbaker said. "Pondering? Premeditation? Reflection? No."

From Thursday:Judge rejects motion to dismiss charges as testimony ends in Iowa state trooper murder trial

He reminded the jury about testimony that a police negotiator had persuaded Lang to come to his door just before the assault with the armored car began.

"But for some reason, the tac team was antsy, according to (state patrol negotiator Tom) Williams, and they started to rip the front off that house," he said, adding that Lang's two shots toward the vehicle were "just an effort to get it away, not to kill."

An Iowa Attorney General's Office review of the handling of the standoff determined that law enforcement officers had acted reasonably and that their use of force was justified. 

"Because of Lang’s actions, officers had no other reasonable choice but to shoot Lang. Otherwise, responding officers or innocent bystanders would have been put in harm’s way," Iowa Assistant Attorney General Scott Brown wrote in a letter to the Grundy County attorney.

Lang, 42, had once run unsuccessfully for Grundy County sheriff, receiving 22% of the vote.

He had a long record of legal infractions, often involving alcohol. Court records show at least three convictions for drunken driving and four for public intoxication prior to the April 2021 standoff. People who knew him in Grundy Center described him as a longtime heavy drinker who had been barred from a local bar for fighting and aggressive behavior.

Before Smith's shooting, as law enforcement officers gathered outside Lang's home, Lang's father showed up to warn them that his son was armed, police have said.

Hawbaker — whom Judge Joel Dalrymple had barred from using Iowa's "stand your ground" law as part of Lang's defense — declined to comment after the verdict.

Family: God 'granted justice'

A 27-year Iowa State Patrol veteran, Smith, 51, was just the second officer in the patrol's history to be shot and killed in the line of duty.

In addition to his duties as a tactical team leader, Smith was normally assigned to the patrol's Oelwein-centered northeastern Iowa district. As his body was returned from the Iowa Medical Examiner's Office in Ankeny to his hometown of Independence, escorted by law enforcement officers from across the state, hundreds of people lined the streets to pay their respects.

At his funeral — which drew so many mourners that it was held at a local high school — friends recalled him as a devoted family man, with a wife and two children, who displayed strong religious faith. 

State Patrol Col. Nathan Fulk said Smith was a quietly confident leader of the tactical unit, and he always wanted to be the first officer to hit a door in a volatile situation.

“Jim was a sheepdog that protected sheep,” the colonel said.

In a ceremony earlier this month, Smith's name was added to the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial near the Iowa Capitol along with that of fellow Oelwein-based Trooper Ted Benda, who died in October after his car crashed as he drove to assist officers at a call  in Clayton County.

After Monday's verdict, State Patrol Capt. Mark Miller gave a statement on behalf of Smith's family, many of whom attended the weeklong trial, thanking the jury, prosecutors, witnesses and Smith's law enforcement colleagues.

"God provided us with comfort on the difficult days this past year, and now he has granted justice," Miller said. "Jim was honored once again with the serving of what he loved to implement the most, and that is justice."

The case was moved to the Hamilton County Courthouse in Webster City from Grundy County because of widespread publicity about the case. Grundy County Attorney Erika Allen called Monday's verdict "the first step on the path of healing for his family, not just his immediate family but his law enforcement family."

Lang's sentencing will be set at a later date.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.