Des Moines Woman Arrested for Allegedly Setting Homeless Tent on Fire 2024-09-18

A Des Moines woman has been arrested after police say she set a homeless tent on fire. Tina D., 49, has been charged with first-degree arson. According to a criminal complaint, D. set fire to a tent with people inside Monday afternoon near Euclid Avenue on Des Moines's north side. Police say the fire had the potential to injure the people inside, had they not woken up and left.

Crime

State Officials Sought to Manage 'Public Uproar' Over Juvenile's Alleged Killing 2024-09-17

Newly disclosed text messages and emails indicate state officials were asked to assist in handling what was expected to be a 'public uproar' caused by a slaying allegedly committed by a youth in a juvenile treatment center. 15-year-old Jovahn M. was charged with second-degree murder in the death of 50-year-old Kathleen Galloway-Menke at Ellipsis, a juvenile treatment center in Johnston where M. resided. Police allege M. ran up to Galloway-Menke and shoved her, causing her to fall and strike her head, resulting in her death. The Iowa Capital Dispatch requested information from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) regarding M.'s placement at Ellipsis and the involvement of DHHS officials, but the agency heavily redacted the emails and text messages provided in response.

Shooting

Two Iowa Police Officers Shot, Suspect Killed in Shootout 2024-09-17

A shootout early Monday left two Iowa police officers hospitalized and a suspect dead, Des Moines police said. The encounter began around 1:40 a.m. when patrol officers stopped a 37-year-old driver for an equipment violation. The driver pulled over in a parking lot but sped away as officers exited their patrol vehicles. The driver crashed about 20 seconds later, and officers blocked his 2005 Ford Focus from driving away. When the driver refused to cooperate, officers used a Taser on him, then tried to remove him from the car, leading to a violent struggle. During the struggle, the man pulled out a handgun and began shooting at officers, prompting three officers to return fire, killing the man. Two officers were shot, one in the head and the other in the arm, and were rushed to a hospital. Both are expected to survive.