FORT DODGE, Iowa — Four police officers will soon return from critical incident leave after the Webster County Attorney determined they were "justified" in the use of deadly force against an armed man, Fort Dodge police said in a press release.
Webster County Attorney Darren Driscoll released a four-page report on Tuesday, detailing his findings on the death of 24-year-old Tyler Stansberry.
Stansberry was allegedly "exhibiting out of control behavior" and injuring a dog at a home on 4th Avenue South around 8:40 a.m. on Saturday, March 16, prompting several reports to Fort Dodge police.
When officers arrived at the scene, they learned Stansberry had an active warrant for violation of probation with an original charge of domestic abuse.
Driscoll's report reveals officers attempted to talk and reason with Stansberry prior to his death. Only one officer, Ofc. Matthew English, was armed with his service pistol and live ammunition. Ofc. Nicholas Ruggles held a Taser and shield, while Ofc. Andrew Lane was armed with a "less-lethal beanbag round loaded in a shotgun", according to the press release.
Driscoll reports body camera footage shows Stansberry "charging at [officers] at a high rate of speed" while holding two knives. When Stansberry had almost reached the officers, English fired his pistol, striking Stansberry twice in the torso.
At the same time, Ruggles used his Taser and Lane fired his bean-bag round. A fourth officer, Sgt. Matthew Webb, did not fire his weapon.
Local 5 does not currently have access to the body camera footage and cannot independently confirm these findings.
Stansberry allegedly resisted officers' attempts to disarm him while he was on the floor, but officers were eventually able to take his knives. Once Stansberry was disarmed, police alerted medical personnel to come to their aid.
Stansberry eventually died of his injuries. The report did not specify whether Stansberry died at the scene or was transferred to hospital.
Since Stansberry posed an immediate threat to the life and safety of the officers, all officers were "justified" in their responses, Driscoll determined.
“Officer Nick Ruggles, Sergeant Matthew Webb, Officer Andrew Lane and Officer Matthew English were each justified in the use of reasonable force, including deadly force, in that each reasonably believed that such force was necessary to defend himself or another from an actual or imminent use of unlawful force by Tyler C. Stansberry," Driscoll writes in his report.
Fort Dodge police expressed appreciation to everyone involved in the investigation.
"Fort Dodge Police Officers are dispatched to various calls for service each day, that require them to use their training and judgement to serve and protect the Fort Dodge Community," Fort Dodge police said in a press release. "This is a responsibility that we do not take lightly."
The department will now focus on helping all four officers return to their normal duties.
"We are eager to get these Officers back to work, serving the Fort Dodge Community," the department said in a press release.