Cedar Falls Police are seeking the assistance of the public in locating an Evansdale man that fled from police on Sunday. Austin Mitchell Johnson, 18 years of age, is wanted for failing to return to the Residential Facility and Interference with Official Acts, causing Serious Injury.
Cedar Falls Officers were called to the parking lot of the Clarion Inn on Sunday morning on a report of a male sleeping in his vehicle. Officers made contact with the subject and identified him as Johnson. While checking his information through the dispatch center, Johnson fled on foot. Officers chased Johnson east from the Clarion parking lot towards Waterloo Rd. During the course of the chase, an officer jumped from a 3-4' tall retaining wall and landed in a manner that caused an injury to his knee and shoulder. The officer was transported to Sartori Hospital by ambulance for treatment of his injuries. He was later released and remains on medical leave.
Officers from Cedar Falls PD, Waterloo PD, University of Northern Iowa PD, Iowa State Patrol and the Black Hawk County Sheriff Office searched the surrounding area for Johnson; however, he remains at large.
Johnson is described as an 18 year old white male. He is 5'11", 150 pounds and has blue eyes and red hair. Johnson was last seen with long, "bushy" hair. He has numerous tattoos on his arms and abdomen, including dice, musical notes, a mircrophone and lips with a tongue sticking out.
Anyone seeing Johnson or with information on his whereabouts are asked to call Black Hawk County Dispatch at 319-291-2515 or Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-855-300-TIPS (8477).
A criminal charge is an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.