Fatal Fort Dodge officer-involved shooting was ‘justified’, county attorney says

FORT DODGE, Iowa — The use of deadly force during a fatal officer-involved shooting in Fort Dodge in March was justified, according to a report from Webster County Attorney Darren Driscoll.

The Fort Dodge Police Department provided a news release Wednesday outlining Driscoll’s findings in the death of 24-year-old Tyler Stansberry. He was shot and killed on the morning of March 16 when officers responded to a home in the 1500 block of 4th Ave. S on a report of someone who was out of control and had been abusing a dog.

When the officers arrived at the scene around 8: 40 a.m., they spoke with Stansberry’s family outside the home. Police learned Stansberry had made a threat to a family member and had armed himself with a knife just before they called the police.

The family also described some of Stansberry’s mental health struggles, including a similar instance a few years ago when he had barricaded himself after police were called.

Officer Nicholas Ruggles, Sergeant Matthew Webb, Officer Andrew Lane, and
Officer Matthew English then planned how to approach Stansberry in the home’s basement. They called out to him, asking him to come talk to them as they descended the steps.

The report said, “The four Officers then continued down the stairs to the basement, led by Officer Ruggles armed with a Taser and a shield, followed by Officer English armed with his service pistol loaded with live ammunition in his right hand, Officer Lane armed with a less-lethal beanbag round loaded in a shotgun, followed by Sergeant Webb.”

According to the report, body camera footage shows when they reached the bottom of the steps Officer Lane passed the others, opened a door to a bathroom on the right of the stairs, checked it, and cleared it.

Officer Ruggles called for Stansberry to come out because they still did not know where he was located. The report said that’s when Stansberry screamed and charged at officers from a darkened room to their left.

“The officers turn to their left, to the direction of the screams and observe Mr. Stansberry charging them at a high rate of speed with a knife in each hand. Within approximately one second of when Mr. Stansberry begins to charge and scream, he has almost reached the officers. Ruggles then deploys his taser, Lane fires his less-lethal bean bag round, and English fires two live rounds from his service pistol, striking Stansberry twice in the torso. Webb is still on the stairs, with a partially obstructed view, due to the tight quarters at the bottom of the stairs and does not fire his weapon,” the report stated.

Stansberry fell to the ground on his front and continued to struggle with officers who were trying to get the knives out of his hands. Once he was disarmed, the report said medical personnel were called to provide care to Stansberry but he later died from his wounds.

“Given the established facts of this case, the Webster County Attorney’s Office has concluded that Officer Nick Ruggles, Sergeant Matthew Webb, Officer Andrew Lane, and Officer
Matthew English each used ‘reasonable force’ in responding to the use of deadly force by Tyler
C. Stansberry on March 16, 2024. Each used a level of force that a reasonable person in like
circumstances would have judged necessary to prevent an injury or loss,” Webster County Attorney Darren Driscoll concluded.

The Fort Dodge Police Department said it is taking measures to ensure the officers’ mental and physical needs are met before they return to active duty.

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