Police report: Des Moines man arrested after firing gun at two women and a 10-year-old

A Des Moines man was arrested Saturday after allegedly firing a gun at two women and a 10-year-old child.

Joseph Allen Grafton, 23, was charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon, a felony. He was also charged with crimes associated with a previous incident, for which there was a warrant out for his arrest.

Des Moines Police Department officers responded to a report around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday of a drive-by shooting near the corner of Capitol Avenue and East 16th Street, near Capitol View Elementary School, according to a police report.

The caller told officers that she was in the car with another woman and a 10-year-old child when a gray or brown pickup truck sped eastbound down Des Moines Street. The pickup then turned around at the SQ Liquor store, drove west, parked near the caller's house and began driving west again.

The caller followed the pickup in her car to get the license plate so she could report what she felt was suspicious behavior to the police. The driver, a skinny white male wearing a hat and gray sweatshirt who was later identified as Grafton, stopped at the corner of Capitol Avenue and East 16th and got out of his car.

The man pointed a long gun at the caller's car, according to the report. The caller and her two passengers heard what sounded like a gunshot and saw a flash at the muzzle of the gun. No one was injured, and they drove away from the scene before calling the police.

A witness heard the sound of a shot fired but did not see Grafton fire the gun.

Officers ran the license plate and found that it was associated with a tan 2002 Chevrolet Silverado registered to the occupants of 1912 Hubbell Ave. At that address, officers found the pickup truck and Grafton, whom they took into custody and charged intimidation with a dangerous weapon.

According to the report, officers were unable to find a gun but did find a shotgun shell casing on Grafton's person. An officer found a spent shell casing in the road near Capitol Avenue and East 16th Street.

One of the victims positively identified Grafton as the man who shot at her.

Officers also found that Grafton had warrants out for his arrest on counts of criminal mischief in the third degree, assault while displaying a dangerous weapon, domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury, criminal mischief in the fifth degree and interference with official acts.

Grafton was transported to Broadlawns Medical Center and then to Polk County Jail.

Recent drive-by shootings in Des Moines: