DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement held a press conference Thursday demanding Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert be fired over an arrest an officer made in September 2021.
Iowa CCI leaders claim a DMPD officer used excessive force on a Black man with intellectual disabilities.
The arrest happened on the corner of University Avenue and 6th Avenue near QuikTrip and MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. In the dash and body camera videos Iowa CCI obtained, Senior Police Officer Joshua Button turned onto 6th Avenue, stopped and approached 39-year-old Lentern Woods.
Police said in a release that Woods had entered traffic multiple times and then approached Button. When Button tried to talk to Woods, that's when DMPD said he walked away.
It was at that time Woods became "aggressive" with the officer, the department said.
Woods was charged with assault, interference with official acts and disorderly conduct in the incident.
Wingert issued the following statement:
"It is never our goal to have a physical confrontation with an individual, however, in this instance Officer Button had no choice but to intervene with Mr. Woods for the safety of Mr. Woods and the public. Ignoring his behavior and the inherent associated risks was not an option. We have a duty to intervene. We were aware of this incident when it occurred, and it was fully investigated by supervisors and commanders, as with all force incidents.
Though in a response to media inquiries, police said Button was on an unrelated call when he "heard loud yelling and screaming." That's when police said Button saw Woods who they said was "making violent punching actions towards others in the area while continuing to scream."
In addition to firing Chief Wingert, Iowa CCI is asking for a community review board to investigate Des Moines Police Department cases.