Dec. 26 (UPI) — The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations is assisting in a review of an incident that led to the shooting death of a 16-year-old male in Des Moines, Iowa, at the hands of police officers early Monday morning.
A press release from the Des Moines Police Department said officers arrived at the scene of a domestic dispute on the south side of Des Moines at about 12:30 a.m., when they found a 16-year-old boy with a handgun. The boy was inside an apartment with members of his family.
“Officers began several minutes of negotiations in an effort to de-escalate the situation,” the press release said.
“During that time, several pleas were made for him to put the handgun down. As de-escalation efforts continued, he raised the handgun in the direction of officers. More than one officer fired their handgun, striking him.”
Officers then began providing life-saving efforts to no avail. Des Moines Fire Department medics took over the efforts once they arrived before transporting the boy to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police body cameras were active during the shooting and will be reviewed as part of the investigation. Police department detectives will also assist in the investigation.
The department said this was the first officer-involved shooting this year.
