Dubuque teen sentenced to prison for assault on police officer

A Dubuque teenager who threatened police with a knife, leading officers to shoot him, was sentenced this week to 10 years in prison. Lorenzo K. Cruz, now 17, received the sentence from Judge Monica Ackley in Iowa District Court of Dubuque County after pleading guilty to charges of assault on a peace officer while displaying a dangerous weapon and interference with official acts. He also was sentenced after guilty pleas to unrelated charges of serious injury by vehicle while intoxicated and third-degree harassment. The assault and interference charges stem from a Dec. 24 incident in the 500 block of Nevada Street. During that incident Cruz ignored commands from police officers and approached them wit a knife, he was shot in the arm and the shoulder by officers. The other charges were related to a Dec. 1 incident in which court documents state that Cruz operated and crashed a vehicle while intoxicated with a minor in the car. The minor sustained a broken pelvis and internal bleeding and was taken to University of Iowa Health Care for treatment.