Iowa Attorney General’s Office Concludes Black Hawk and Bremer County Deputies Justified in Officer Involved Death

DES MOINES—In a report issued today, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office has concluded that two Black Hawk County deputies and one Bremer County deputy were legally justified in their use of force on December 15, 2024, that contributed to Willie Earl Washington’s death.

The Attorney General’s conclusion was based on a review and investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The investigation found that on December 15, at 6:55 p.m., a Waterloo police officer attempted to pull Washington over because his brake light was out. He first appeared as if he was going to park in a Dollar General parking lot but, instead, sped out the other side and drove the wrong way on the street. A high-speed chase then ensued, where Washington’s white sedan clocked in at over 120 miles per hour. Both vehicles weaved around other drivers during the chase—with one driver getting sideswiped while attempting to move out of the way. The chase eventually ended due to safety concerns.

Other law enforcement were made aware of the chase, and two Black Hawk County deputies then sought out Washington’s vehicle. At 7:16 p.m., one of the deputies spotted Washington’s sedan and attempted another traffic stop. Washington, again, sped off, weaving in and out of traffic lanes. Bremer County law enforcement were notified that Washington was headed their direction and deployed stop sticks near the highway exit. The stop sticks punctured Washington’s front tires, and he pulled off the side of the road.

A deputy approached Washington, with his weapon drawn, and directed Washington to put his hands up. Washington complied. After determining that Washington was alone and unarmed, the deputy holstered his weapon. Two deputies attempted to remove Washington from the vehicle, but he resisted. Washington yelled at the officers not to slam him on the ground, though the deputies were not pulling on him at that point. The deputies calmly repeated that Washington needed to get out of the car, but Washington continued to resist. Three deputies then removed Washington from the vehicle and slowly lowered him to the ground. Washington was facing the ground, still yelling. The deputies proceeded to handcuff him behind his back, and Washington battled with them. At one point, a deputy even felt Washington brush his belt and believed that Washington was reaching for his weapon. Washington continued talking and told the deputies that he couldn’t breathe. At which point, other officers called for medical assistance.

The deputies had to use two sets of handcuffs because of Washington’s size. He was still talking as the officers applied the second set of handcuffs. As soon as the handcuffs were secured, the deputies turned Washington on his side. He was unresponsive. The deputies were able to detect a pulse and heartbeat and began providing medical assistance. Washington was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

The total time Washington was face down on the ground was approximately 87 seconds. Further investigation revealed medical records and past comments Washington had made about shortness of breath due to congestive heart failure. Washington’s heart was double the average size. He also had methamphetamine in his bloodstream at the time of his death. The cause of death was determined to be a combination of cardiorespiratory arrest, an enlarged heart, obesity, methamphetamine use, and positioning.

Washington had endangered many innocent lives on the road by leading two high-speed chases within 21 minutes. He also resisted the officers’ repeated commands and arrest. The officers used no more force or time than was necessary to accomplish the handcuffing procedure.

The report is issued under the Attorney General’s independent authority under Iowa Code section 13.12 to investigate or prosecute conduct of law enforcement that results in death.

A copy of the report is available here.

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For More Information:

Alyssa Brouillet | Communications Director

515-823-9112

alyssa.brouillet@ag.iowa.gov