Iowa Attorney General claims legal justification in fatal shooting involving Des Moines police
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) - Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird claimed legal justification in a fatal shooting involving two Des Moines police officers.
The fatal shooting of David Kintz Jr. took place February 6, 2025.
An investigation revealed narcotics officers were checking a woman’s vehicle as part of a drug investigation February 6.
The woman parked her car at a gas station. As she did so, a masked man carrying a duffel bag left the car from the passenger seat.
The man left the scene on foot, and officers made a request for patrol officers to locate him.
Two officers responded to the request in separate vehicles.
The first officer to locate the man, later identified as Kintz, asked him to take his hands out of his pockets. Kintz complied with his orders.
The officer then proceeded to inform Kintz they had received a call about a masked man who was acting suspiciously. Kintz told the officer he had COVID-19, and offered to let him search his bag.
It was at this time that the second officer arrived on scene.
Kintz set his bag on the ground and put his hands into his sweatshirt, claiming it was “freezing”.
An officer told Kintz he needed to keep his hands out of his pockets and informed him they would have to check his pocket contents.
The officer felt a long, skinny object in one of his pockets, and Kintz told him it was a screwdriver.
Kintz then removed the screwdriver from his pocket and lunged at the officer, stabbing his head and neck.
The officer drew his firearm as he backed up, and both officers fired at Kintz.
Kintz fell to the ground, but was alert and talked to the officers as they put him in handcuffs.
The officers called for an ambulance and provided medical care to Kintz. He later died at the hospital.
Kintz had a warrant out for his arrest for a parole violation at the time of the incident.
He told family members he would not go back to prison, and that if police interfered, he would stab them and “make them kill me”.
Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.
