by Mari Radtke
It was just under four hours for a jury to decide on the guilt or innocence of Devon Jones of Sutherland. Jones had been charged with 6 counts: 2 attempted murder charges, 2 willful injury. burglary, and assault on a peace officer.
The charges agains Jones for interactions with Lisa Magnussen of Sutherland, Iowa ended as guilty of trespassing and simple assault. That result was not very surprising if you heard the evidence and the testimony.
The other attempted murder and willful injury charges were found not guilty. Again, no surprise.
Shockingly, Jones was found guilty of assault on a peace officer. This is why it was surprising. Sutherland Police Chief Brent Koppe, who also serves with a county Conservation, made the claim that he was assaulted with a dangerous weapon. While I did not hear Koppe’s testimony, I was told he was questioned at length about crossbows, how they are used in hunting. It was said he seemed quite knowledgeable about the weapon.
I did hear the testimony of Deputy Tim Rohrbaugh. Rohrbaugh’s body cam footage was played during trial. Rohrbaugh described how the three peace officers ascended the stairs to get to the suicide attempt. He was holding shield nearly as tall as his 6-foot body and wider. It had windows. Rohrbaugh led with Koppe behind him and a third police officer in the rear. The body cam showed (through the shield window) entering the bathroom of the home. A person sat on the side of the bathrub holding a small plastic object, about 8 inches across. It was a toy crossbow. Upon entry the toy fell from the person’s hand and almost simultaneously was knocked by Rohrbaugh into the bathtub and tazed.
So a peace officer entering behind another full grown man behind a shield was assaulted by the toy that fell to the floor. Sure. Seeing the video and hearing the description, the question I can’t stop asking is how the second person in that “stack” could even see what was going on to say he felt threatened; to know what the subject was or wasn’t holding. The scene in the video and Rohrbaugh’s description simply do not make me understand how he could have seen enough before the victim was subdued to know that the subject was holding anything.
I must, however congratulate Chief Koppe. He was able to nab a 74-year old man for really creepy behavior…by posing online as a 15-year-old girl.
Whatever it takes to get that kind off the streets.