The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man who fled into a wooded quarry Tuesday night, prompting a lockdown in the Gilmore City area.
Authorities say the incident began around 6:12 p.m. Tuesday, when dispatchers received a report of a man driving a 2020 Ram 2500 erratically and yelling at people in the 1900 mile of Birch Avenue. Deputies located the truck about a mile away, but the driver was agitated and noncompliant when they attempted to speak with him.
As additional law enforcement arrived, the man backed into a sheriff’s vehicle, causing minor damage, and then fled. Deputies chased him into a nearby grass field, where they attempted to negotiate and de-escalate the situation — but the man took off again.
A second pursuit followed through farm fields before the suspect entered a heavily wooded quarry property in Pocahontas County, just north of Gilmore City. Authorities say the man drove through dense timber and brush until his truck became disabled. He then abandoned the vehicle and ran into the woods.
Multiple agencies — including sheriff’s offices from Humboldt, Pocahontas, Kossuth, Webster and Palo Alto counties, along with the Iowa State Patrol, drones, K‑9 units, Humboldt Ambulance and the Gilmore City Fire Department — searched the area until about 10:15 p.m., when darkness and rough terrain forced them to suspend operations.
As of this morning, the suspect has not been located, and the sheriff’s office has not released a description of the man they’re looking for.
Residents in and around Gilmore City are being urged to stay alert, lock homes and vehicles, remove keys from vehicles and ensure firearms are secured. Anyone who sees suspicious activity is asked to call 911 immediately and not approach the individual.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office says more information will be released as the investigation continues.
