Cedar Rapids man dead following standoff with police in North Liberty

Police say a Cedar Rapids man is dead of a possible self-inflicted gunshot wound following a standoff in North Liberty early Tuesday.

Shots were fired inside a home on David Lee Court around 5:10 a.m. as North Liberty police officers were outside conducting a robbery investigation. Police said a witness who was also inside the building told them the person killed, Dairion Cortez Bradley, 21, of Cedar Rapids died of a self-inflicted gunshot, according to a Tuesday night news release from the City of North Liberty.

The release added that though the cause of death was supported by visual evidence, the case would remain open until the autopsy is completed.

No one else was injured, police said, and officers did not fire any shots, police said.

North Liberty police officers first responded to the residence at 2:19 a.m. at the request of Iowa City law enforcement following a robbery in Iowa City, North Liberty Police Chief Diane Venenga told the Press-Citizen.

"There was a robbery in Iowa City, and they asked North Liberty to check for suspects and a vehicle," Venenga said.

Venenga said officers made contact with the homeowners, and police towed one vehicle that was connected to the robbery.

Iowa City police said in a news release Tuesday afternoon that two juvenile suspects in the robbery were taken into custody at the David Lee Court residence.

Police were still at the scene at 5:10 a.m. speaking with residents and gathering evidence outside when shots were fired from inside the home, and officers pulled back, Venenga said.

At that point, Venenga said officers called in the Johnson County tactical team, which cleared the building and got at least four other people out safely. Neighbors in adjacent residences were asked to evacuate and did so voluntarily, Venenga said.

The North Liberty Police Department and Johnson County tactical team were assisted by the Iowa City and Coralville police departments, North Liberty Fire Department and Johnson County Ambulance and Medical Examiner.

Iowa City police provided more information about the robbery in the Tuesday afternoon news release. Officers were called about a robbery in the area of Center Street and Davenport Street at about 12:34 a.m., according to the release.

The victim in the robbery told police that he knew the suspects. He told officers one of the suspects struck him with a pistol, and that a single gunshot was fired. The victim sustained minor injuries from being hit with the pistol and said the suspects fled in a white vehicle, according to the release.

Iowa City police said in the release that the investigation led them to the residence at David Lee Court, where two juveniles were taken into custody and transported to the Linn County Detention Center without incident. The Press-Citizen generally does not identify juveniles charged with crimes.

Iowa City and North Liberty police are continuing to investigate the robbery.

Reach Stephen Gruber-Miller at 319-887-5407 or sgrubermil@press-citizen.com. Follow him on Twitter: @sgrubermiller.