Two Iowa police officers were brutally murdered early this morning – about 20 minutes apart- as they sat in their patrol vehicles. The suspect, Scott Michael Greene, 46 was arrested at 9:30 a.m. local time.
Twitter photo
Ambush- Manhunt-Capture
Des Moines police responded to a report of shots fired at 1:06 a.m. When they arrived, they found one Urbandale police officer with gunshot wounds. About 20 minutes later, they found a Des Moines officer had been fatally shot at an intersection 2 miles from that scene.
“It doesn’t look like there was any interaction between these officers and whoever the coward is who shot them while they sat in their cars.” Des Moines Police Sgt Paul Parizek
The suspect was picked up in Dallas County, Iowa after an intense manhunt. His name was developed soon after the shootings, based on “tips.”
photo from when Greene was kicked out of the football game
Background
On October 14, Greene had been kicked out of an Urbandale high school football game because he was carrying a Confederate Battle Flag along with the American flag. At that time he argued with police officers over being kicked out. He later posted a video of the altercation on YouTube.
The video was titled “Police Abuse, Civil Rights Violation at Urbandale High school 10/14/16”
The altercation was reported by Heavy.com. This is just a portion:
“You came just to fly the flag and possibly cause a disruption tonight,” an officer says. “You have to understand in the current social climate we’re in, when you fly a Confederate flag standing in front of several African-American people, that’s going to cause a disturbance, whether you intended to or not.”
Greene argues that it is his Constitutional right to do so and says he was “peacefully protesting.”
Why he decided to ambush police officers sitting in their vehicles is unknown at this time. Greene has a lengthy criminal record.
Police will release the names of the officers after all notifications of family members.
Here again we have the narrative that it might be “mental illness.” Greene is white. Some of his past suggests he didn’t like blacks, but he made at least one comment in which he stated they were all “cop killers.” It appears that he has now joined the ranks of the very same.
On the scene where an officer was found shot at Merle Hay road and Sheridan dr early Wed. morning. pic.twitter.com/KupgOHWr6O
— Brian Powers (@bpowersphoto) November 2, 2016
Daybreak gives us a better look at DMPD squad car. Police say 46 yr old Scott Michael Greene ambushed and killed two officers @WHOhd pic.twitter.com/Njyu75yywJ
— Jodi Whitworth (@JodiWhitworth_) November 2, 2016
Iowa #police Shooting perp reported 2 comply with requirement to accept mental health treatment back in 2015.https://t.co/3dE1dq08JR
— MentalIllnessPolicy (@MentalIllPolicy) November 2, 2016
UPDATE: 46-year-old Scott Michael Greene has been identified as the main suspect in the shooting https://t.co/ZpxReyZ5eJ
— New York Post (@nypost) November 2, 2016
The scene of the first shooting at 70th and Aurora where an officer was found shot early Wed morning. Some officers in combat gear here. pic.twitter.com/SJEUY4B3gh
— Brian Powers (@bpowersphoto) November 2, 2016
A visibly shaken Des Moines police officer gave the following press conference this morning.
“I don’t even know where to begin on how bad this year is…but…This is what we do. We come in day in and day out, we go out there and provide the same level of service regardless of what’s going on in our personal and professional lives.” Sgt Paul Parizek