Police in Council Bluffs said early this (Thursday) morning, that an arrest warrant has been issued for a man who was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon but escaped and struck a police officer with a vehicle while attempting to flee. 27-year old Adam W. Thomas, of Council Bluffs, is wanted for Attempt to Commit Murder, Theft in the 1st degree, Theft by Deception, and Escape from Custody.

Adam W. Thomas

Officials say the incident began at around 3:30-p.m. Wednesday. A Council Bluffs Police Officer was at the Bomgaar’s store (2703 E. Kanesville Blvd.) when store staff notified him of a fraud in progress. Through an investigation the officer was able to identify a suspect (Adam Thomas) who was still in the store. With the assistance of a second Council Bluffs Officer Thomas was handcuffed and taken into custody a little before 4-p.m.

Thomas, was placed in a patrol vehicle, but while the officers were continuing with their investigation, Thomas managed to escaped from the patrol car. He returned to the 2007 Chevy pickup he arrived at the store in, and began to drive away. Thomas ignored verbal commands by one of the officers for him to stop, and in the process of leaving, struck one of the officers with the truck. An officer fired several shots in an attempt to stop Thomas, be he was able to flee the scene, heading eastbound. The officer who was hit by the pickup was being treated at a local hospital. The names of the officers involved in this incident are not being released at this time.

The pickup Thomas drove was located at around 9-p.m. Wednesday, abandoned in the Crescent/Underwood area (near 23752 Idlewood Road). The suspect vehicle had been reported stolen on Oct. 13th. The area where the pickup was found was searched by officers with the assistance of the Omaha Police Department Helicopter and K-9 unit as well as the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

As of early this morning, Thomas has not been found. The suspect vehicle was towed to a secure location where a search warrant will be conducted at a later date and time to be determined. Anyone with information of Adam W. Thomas, should contact their local law enforcement agency immediately.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A former prison guard has admitted that he smuggled cellphones into Iowa’s Anamosa State Penitentiary. Federal court records say 29-year-old Garrett Barton of Anamosa, pleaded guilty on Tuesday. Officials say he smuggled the phones into the prison and extorted money from an inmate.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A political action committee that opposes Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential bid has aired a TV ad showing the grave of Chris Stevens, the U.S. ambassador killed on Benghazi, Libya. The 30-second ad by the Stop Hillary PAC aired on CNN in selected media markets during Tuesday’s Democratic debate. It also shows photos of Stevens and three other Americans killed during the September 2012 attacks. Democrats on the House Benghazi committee condemned the ad and said Stevens’ image was used without his family’s permission.

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) — Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has a new target for his barbs: Democratic contender Bernie Sanders. Trump told thousands of people at a rally at the Richmond International Raceway in Virginia Wednesday evening that Sanders is a “maniac” who is pushing Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton to the left.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A report card is out on the Mississippi River basin, and the grade is not good: a D+, with the river’s aging transportation infrastructure topping the list of concerns. America’s Watershed Initiative on Wednesday released details of its report card, which assessed categories such as the abundance of clean water, flood control and risk, and recreation.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is the deadline for fire departments in rural Iowa to seek state grants to buy equipment to fight fires in farm fields and timber areas. Gail Kantak, the fire supervisor for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says this is the time of year over-heated combines start a fire.  “Pay attention to sparks and hot spots especially when you’re out in that tinderbox of fuel in your corn and beans,” Kantak says. “It can lead to a big problem.”

On Monday afternoon, two fire fighters in Scott County were treated for smoke inhalation after two fires swept through about two-thousand acres of eastern Iowa farm ground. Later Monday afternoon in northwest Iowa, a semi was destroyed in a field fire near Fostoria. Kantak says grain bins are unfortunately fertile ground for fires, too, and a lit light bulb touching the grain can spark a fire.

“Also keep in mind that the dust created by the grain as it’s filling is combustible as well,” Kantak says, “so just be really careful with those things and keep the electricity off in the bin as much as you can.” Iowa fire departments that serve communities with a population under 10-thousand are eligible for Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants.

The grants of up to 35-hundred dollars provide matching funds to buy fire fighting equipment “to save lives and protect property in rural areas.” In addition, the fire program staff in the Department of Natural Resources offers courses for volunteer fire fighters in Iowa to teach tactics for putting out fires in fields and other wild lands.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says a Lewis man was arrested Tuesday on an Atlantic Police Dept. warrant for Going Armed with Intent, a Class-D felony. 33-year old Bo Wilson was taken to the Cass County Jail and released Wednesday (today), on his own recognizance.

Also arrested Tuesday, was 20-year old Brandan Dwayne Clark, of Atlantic. Deputies arrested Clark on a charge of Failure to Appear. He remains held without bond in the Cass County Jail.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The FBI says two underage victims have been rescued and three pimps arrested in the Omaha area as part of a nationwide crackdown on human trafficking. In all, the FBI said Tuesday, 21 people were arrested in Omaha as part of the Operation Cross Country IX. The effort was led by the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The Omaha Police Department, Douglas County,Nebraska Sheriff’s Department, Council Bluffs Police Department, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mills County Sheriff’s Office are part of the local FBI-led task force.

The FBI says the national sting was conducted in 135 cities. Altogether, authorities rescued 149 minors and arrested 153 pimps.