Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Jeremy Michael Berg
Age : 45
Gender : Male
Race : White
Date : 08/31/2021
Location : 23966 42nd Street
City : Martelle
County : Jones
State : Iowa
Agency : Jones County Sheriff’s Office, Anamosa Police Department
Officer(s) :James Rickels; Tim Miller; Nick Brokaw; Gabe Humphrey; Tyler Hunt
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police during response to fire
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 08/31/2021, at approximately 8:00 p.m., emergency personnel responded to a reported structure fire on a rural property in the 23000 block of 42nd Street southeast of Martelle. The property belonged to the maternal grandparents of 45-year-old Jeremy Michael Berg, who was living there at the time. Eleven law-enforcement and fire agencies ultimately responded. Berg had suffered significant burns while near or inside the burning outbuilding before police confronted him.
Dispatchers advised responding officers that Berg had a history of drug use and had reportedly been repeatedly entering the burning structure while talking about dying in the fire. Berg's mother later said he struggled with depression and methamphetamine addiction and believed it was possible that he intended to provoke police into killing him. Family members reported that Berg had used drugs that evening.
Jones County Sheriff's Deputy James Rickels arrived at approximately 8:17 p.m. and encountered Berg sitting on the ground with visible burns. Rickels attempted to keep Berg away from the fire while waiting for paramedics. According to the Iowa Attorney General's subsequent investigation, Berg then produced a knife. Rickels and members of Berg's family repeatedly attempted to persuade him to put it down.
Rickels deployed his Taser, causing Berg to fall. According to the state investigation, Berg pulled the Taser probes from his body, stood back up and continued holding the knife. Rickels deployed the Taser a second time without incapacitating him. Jones County Deputy Tim Miller subsequently arrived, followed at approximately 8:30 p.m. by Anamosa Police Sgt. Nick Brokaw and Officers Gabe Humphrey and Tyler Hunt.
Police continued attempting to persuade Berg to put down the knife during a standoff lasting several minutes. Officers then escalated their less-lethal efforts, firing a beanbag round and deploying another Taser. According to investigators, neither incapacitated Berg. Berg then ran away from the officers toward a nearby house, and several officers pursued him.
The state's investigation alleged that while officers pursued him, Berg stopped, turned toward them, yelled and raised the hand holding the knife. Police alleged that Berg then moved rapidly toward the officers. The publicly released body-camera segment shows Berg initially running away from police before officers pursue him; seconds later, he turns with his right arm raised and moves back in the officers' direction.
Deputies James Rickels and Tim Miller and Anamosa officers Nick Brokaw, Gabe Humphrey and Tyler Hunt then simultaneously opened fire. Approximately eight to ten shots can be heard in the publicly released 15-second body-camera segment. Berg was struck multiple times and fell to the ground. Officers removed the knife and began providing emergency medical aid, but Berg died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Berg's family questioned the officers' decision to pursue him when he ran away. His mother, Margie Fensterman, said relatives at the scene wanted to approach Berg and attempt to persuade him to surrender the knife but police prevented them from doing so. She described the knife as a pocket knife and questioned why officers did not allow Berg to continue running away rather than pursuing him. She also believed her son's behavior may have represented an attempt to make police kill him.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the shooting. Because Jones County Attorney Kristofer Lyons identified a potential conflict of interest, the case was referred to the Iowa Attorney General's Office for an independent review. On 09/17/2021, Assistant Attorney General Douglas Hammerand concluded that all five officers were legally justified in using deadly force and closed the Attorney General's criminal review without charges.
All five shooters had been placed on administrative leave. At the time of the shooting, Rickels had approximately six years of law-enforcement experience, Miller three years, Brokaw nine years, Hunt eight years and Humphrey two years. Following the Attorney General's decision, Rickels and Miller were cleared to return to duty.
SOURCE LINKS :
https://www.kcrg.com/2021/09/01/man-shot-killed-by-law-enforcement-in-jones-county/
https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/jones-county-deputies-anamosa-police-shoot-kill-man-after-fire-call/
https://www.kwwl.com/news/iowa/jones-county-man-shot-killed-by-police-after-fire-call/article_3c3c7a2e-0b0b-11ec-9c7e-6f0a8f0a4a8e.html
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2021/09/01/iowa-police-shooting-one-dead-after-incident-eastern-iowa-martelle-jones-county/5678696001/
