Law enforcement agencies pour out support for deceased Algona, IA officer

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Algona and Kossuth County, Iowa, are mourning the loss of 33-year-old and ten-year law enforcement veteran Kevin Cram. Cram, who had served on the Algona Police Department since 2015, was shot Wednesday night while trying to serve an arrest warrant.

Iowa officials said in a press conference Thursday that Cram was on patron in Algona when he came across Kyle Ricke, who had an active arrest warrant for harassment. When Cram tried to arrest him, Ricke allegedly shot Cram and fled the scene. Cram later died at a hospital.

Multiple public safety and law enforcement agencies said Thursday that these are worst-case scenarios that they plan for. While instances like these are tragedies, they won’t stop them from doing their jobs.

“But that vile act will not deter those of us who are committed to protecting the innocent, to holding evil to account, and to seek justice for Kevin,” Iowa Public Safety Department Commissioner Stephan Bayens said. “Tragic, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, pain and agony. But we will bow our backs, we will be strong, and we will continue to do our jobs.”

“Law enforcement work closely with each other. So even the surrounding agencies, it’s tough to hear. Law enforcement, it can be very dangerous at times. It can be certainly very rewarding as well. This is kind of the news that nobody wants to hear,” Sioux Falls Police Public Information Officer Sam Clemens said. “I can’t speak to obviously all agencies, but I think in law enforcement, there’s a lot of training that goes into trying to keep the officer and doing things the right way. But there’s just not one way that you can do everything. There’s some inherent danger that’s built into this.”

Officials said Thursday that Ricke was arrested just before midnight in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, about 100 miles north of Algona, Iowa. Ricke is currently being held in the jail in Brown County, Minnesota, and will be extradited to Iowa at a later time. He has been charged with one count of first-degree murder.

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