Cop Block - Iowa

Dubuque, IA - In a move that has sparked outrage and shocked the community, the Dubuque County Sheriff's Office announced the hiring of its newest Deputy, Matthew Pothoff.

In 2017, Pothoff was arrested for drugging and sexually abusing an underage girl, in his home. A now viral article from the Dyersville Commercial details the charges.

“Matthew D. Pothoff, 17, is charged in Iowa District Court of Dubuque County with third-degree sexual abuse, a felony. He was arrested Sept. 9, according to court records.

Court documents state that Pothoff, then 16, gave a teen girl younger than him a “fizzy Kool-Aid drink” that made her dizzy and black out at his residence in October. She reported awaking to the Pothoff sexually abusing her.”

Is Matthew Pothoff the type of person we should entrust with the power and authority to enforce our laws?

Who conducts background checks and sets the hiring standards at the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office?

Indianola, IA - The Indianola police have lost an Altoona PD K9? We have so many questions… How does this happen with a trained police dog?

The dog was last seen west of Indianola. According to the Altoona PD, K9 Zeke is trained in criminal apprehension. The dog could pose a threat to public safety, if approached.

*** UPDATE 22:35: K9 Zeke has been found and is back home safe with his handler in Altoona! Thank you to all those who called and assisted in locating Zeke! ***

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IPD needs assistance locating Altoona PD K9 Zeke. Zeke was last seen running eastbound from R63 and South of Highway 92. Please do not attempt to capture Zeke. If you see him, contact Ofc. Schumacher with the Indianola Police Department at 515-961-9400.

Creston, IA - Follow Up - This isn't the first time domestic abuser, Creston police Sgt. Eric Shawler has been in the news for violent acts and poor judgement...

In 2008, Sgt Shawler responded to a call at the local Fareway grocery store for a customer having a seizure. Upon arrival Shawler attempted to arrest the patient, Ronald Adkisson, for being "combative" with medical responders.

When Adkisson attempted to resist the arrest, Shawler deployed his taser, tasing Adkisson 3 times. Adkisson was arrested and released that same evening. About 15 minutes after his release, an off duty nurse found Adkisson unresponsive on a bench outside the police station. Adkisson was pronounced dead at the scene.

After an investigation cleared Shawler and medical staff of any wrong doing, the police and medical responders were sued by the family of Ronald Adkisson. The lawsuit was settled for $33,000 in September 2011.

“People coming out of epileptic seizures aren’t able to fully understand commands. The question here is whether there was any immediate harm in him being at the store. If there wasn’t, then they should have given him time to recover. ... Many law enforcement agencies aren’t trained in how to identify and handle epileptic patients.”

— Dale Todd, a former president of the Iowa Epilepsy Foundation

Story: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/investigations/2013/12/22/creston-after-seizure-man-is-tased-dies/4163873/

Creston, IA - Creston police officer, Eric Shawler, was arrested on one count of domestic abuse on Sunday, following a DCI investigation. The Creston PD has placed Shawler on paid administrative leave.

If you think a paid vacation for domestic abuse is unacceptable, contact:

Chief Paul Ver Meer
Phone: 641-782-8402
Email: [email protected]

"In a news release, officials said at about 4 a.m. officers went to 306 West Seneca to investigate an incomplete 911 call by a woman reporting the assault. Upon arrival, officers said they were met by an adult woman with visible physical injuries. She reported being assaulted by Eric Shawler, who was off-duty at the time."

Story: https://www.kcrg.com/2021/03/29/creston-police-officer-charged-with-domestic-assault/

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"Two studies have found that at least 40% of police officer families experience domestic violence, in contrast to 10% of families in the general population," the National Center for Women & Policing says. "A third study of older and more experienced officers found a rate of 24%, indicating that domestic violence is 2-4 times more common among police families than American families in general."

Study:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael-Todd-4/publication/226691138_Violence_in_Police_Families_Work-Family_Spillover/links/569ff50108aee4d26ad28cce/Violence-in-Police-Families-Work-Family-Spillover.pdf

Related Story: https://kutv.com/news/local/40-of-police-officer-families-experience-domestic-violence-study-says

SCOTUS - The Biden administration is urging the Supreme Court to uphold the 1st circuit courts ruling, allowing police to conduct warrantless searches and seizures of persons and/or their property based on the “community caretaker” doctrine.

The Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments today in the case of Caniglia v. Strom. The court’s decision will have a lasting impact on how the 4th amendment will be interpreted going forward.

“A case that asks whether the Fourth Amendment's usual warrant requirement should be waived when the police conduct a warrantless home search while carrying out a so-called "community caretaker" function, such as when the cops perform a "wellness check" on a potentially troubled or injured person.”

Story: https://reason.com/2021/03/25/sonia-sotomayor-questions-warrantless-gun-seizure-in-big-fourth-amendment-case/

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Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution:

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”