(Des Moines) On August 31, 2021, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from the residence located at 23966 42nd Street Martelle, rural Jones County Iowa. Upon arrival, deputies observed a large structure fire and they also encountered an individual with a knife. Multiple law enforcement officers from the surrounding communities responded to the scene. Initial reports indicate the subject did not comply to orders given by law enforcement to drop the knife. Law enforcement deployed non-lethal and lethal rounds. The subject received multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene.
Two deputies from the Jones County Sheriff’s Office discharged their service weapons and have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation. Three officers from the Anamosa Police Department discharged their service weapons and have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation. A Linn County Deputy deployed non-lethal rounds and has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation. It is standard protocol for the deputies and officers of the aforementioned departments to be placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an Officer Involved Shooting investigation.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) was requested to investigate the officer involved shooting. The Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFM) was dispatched to investigate the fire. Both investigations are currently ongoing and no additional information will be released at this time. The names of the Sheriff Deputies and Police Officers will be released once they have been interviewed by the DCI. The name of the decedent will be released pending notification of family.
Agencies that responded to the incident were: Jones Sheriff’s Office, Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Anamosa Police Department, Mt. Vernon Police Department, Monticello Police Department, Iowa State Patrol (ISP), Martelle Volunteer Fire Department, Lisbon Volunteer Fire Department, Anamosa Volunteer Fire Department, Mt. Vernon Volunteer Fire Department and the Morley Volunteer Fire Department.
This investigation is a collaborated effort by the DCI, SFM, ISP and the Jones County Attorney’s Office. No additional information will be released at this time.
