Police Car Goes Underwater During Weekend Call

The Police Department’s insurance company is investigating whether a squad car was totaled after it became submerged during last weekend’s heavy rains, Police Sgt. Michael Glassberg said.

The incident began at about 6 a.m. Saturday when an officer went to the 900 block of 11th Avenue South following a report of a domestic assault. When the officer turned into the parking lot, he hit a deceptively low point and water rose over the vehicle’s hood within seconds.

“It was pretty quick,” Glassberg said.

The officer had to climb out of the window but was not hurt. Police wound up making an arrest in connection with the domestic assault report.

“We overcame the situation,” Police Capt. Brent Johnson told the City Council on Tuesday.

Glassberg said the department always reviews procedures and responses whenever something happens. But he added that the preliminary investigation, based on watching tape of the incident, suggests that it would’ve been hard to avoid. It was still dark and raining when the officer pulled into the lot.

The department is still trying to determine what equipment inside the car is salvageable.

Glassberg said being down one squad car has not hurt the department because the agency always has at least one extra car.

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