DES MOINES, Iowa — On Monday, the Polk County Attorney announced that three police officers involved in a fatal shooting from September have been cleared of any wrongdoing. This incident occurred early in the morning on September 16, when officers attempted to detain a man who had fired shots at two of their colleagues following a traffic stop.

County Attorney Kimberly Graham concluded her investigation into the shooting of 37-year-old Joshua Green, determining that the officers acted justifiably in their response. Her assessment involved a thorough examination of both body camera and dashcam footage from the scene.

The shooting resulted from a routine traffic stop where Green’s vehicle was pulled over due to an equipment issue around 1:40 a.m. Rather than complying, he initially fled the scene, only to crash into another vehicle shortly afterward. As law enforcement arrived and attempted to subdue Green using a Taser and pull him from his car, he reportedly brandished a handgun and discharged it in the direction of the officers.

In response to the threat posed by Green, three officers returned fire, resulting in his death at the scene. The two officers who were injured during the encounter received medical attention and have since been released from the hospital.