Update: The names of the officers have been released. Urbandale Police Officer Justin Martin was killed in the first shooting. Des Moines Police Sgt. Anthony Beminio was killed in the second shooting.
Martin had been with the Urbandale Police Department since 2015. He is single without any children and is survived by his parents. Beminio had been with the Des Moines Police since 2005 he is survived by his wife and an undisclosed number of children at home.
Original: The Des Moines Police Department reported that officers responded to a report of shots fired in the area of 70th Street and Aurora Ave. in Urbandale at approximately 1:06am this morning.
The first officers to arrive found an Urbandale Police officer who had been shot. Des Moines Police officers also responded to assist, and at approximately 1:26a, a Des Moines Police officer was found shot at the intersection of Merle Hay Rd. and Sheridan Dr. Both officers were pronounced dead. The Des Moines Police Department said that the shootings appear to have been ambush-style attacks.
Scott Michael Green, 46, of Urbandale a suspect in the shooting was detained by Iowa State Patrol officers in Dallas County around 9:00am.
The officers names have not yet been made public.
“The governor and lt. governor have been alerted to the attacks on law enforcement this morning. Shortly after the shootings, our office was briefed by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) on the shootings. DPS is working hand in hand with local law enforcement in the investigation. We will continue monitoring and working with law enforcement in the interest of public safety,” Ben Hammes, Communications Director for Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, said in a released statement.
“An attack on public safety officers is an attack on the public safety of all Iowans. We call on Iowans to support our law enforcement officials in bringing this suspect to justice. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the police officers who were tragically killed in the line of duty as well as the officers who continue to put themselves in harm’s way,” Hammes added.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the two Iowa police officers who were killed in the line of duty, as well as their families and the entire Iowa law enforcement community as they face this devastating loss,” U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said in a released statement.
“Although the investigation is still unfolding, what appears to be an ambush attack of police in the line of duty is an attack on the community at large and all of the men and women who risk their lives every day to protect us. This was a senseless act of violence and it cannot be tolerated,” Ernst concluded.
“Barbara and I are praying for the families, fellow officers and loved ones of two of Iowa’s finest today. These officers were killed in what appears to be an unprovoked and cold-blooded act,” U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in a released statement.
Grassley continued, “Every day, our law enforcement officers go to work to keep us safe. No matter the circumstances, they answer the call in communities across Iowa. We all keep the officers in Des Moines, Urbandale and throughout Iowa in our thoughts as they respond to an ongoing dangerous situation.”
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two officers who were killed this morning in cowardly and senseless attacks. As we continue to learn more about these horrific shootings, we must stand together united as a community to ensure whoever is responsible is brought to justice. I’ve been in contact with – and offered our support to – local and state officials to help provide any federal assistance needed. May God bless and protect our brave men and women who serve to protect us each day,” Congressman David Young (R-Iowa) said in a released statement.