Men Who Talked to Media, But Not Cops About Fatal Police Shooting Now Being Subpoenaed
Two men – Mike Tibbetts and Brock Brones – who gave accounts to The Gazette that varied from official Iowa City Police accounts of a Friday evening police shooting – are now being subpoenaed, Iowa City Police tell Eastern Iowa News tonight.
That means they are being compelled (court ordered) to give testimony in the investigation.
“Everyone has the right against self-incrimination,” an Iowa City Police official tells Eastern Iowa News. “However, they are not suspects in this homicide investigation.”
“Investigators were able to contact Tibbetts. He failed to show for his scheduled interview,” the same official said. “Calls to Brones have not been returned. At this point, they have made themselves witnesses by their statements to media.”
“By their own accounts to media, they are witnesses in a homicide investigation,” the official said. “They are not suspects. As witnesses, they do not have the right to remain silent to avoid self-incrimination.”
Previous media releases from ICPD on the incident can be found here.
Here’s what ICPD released earlier today:
At 7:17pm on July 24, Iowa City Police received a report via the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office of a fight in the 300 block of E Prentiss St. Additional 911 calls were received reporting different aspects of the same incident. Responding officers found two persons suffering serious injuries. One male had been stabbed. Another male had been shot by a Johnson County Sheriff’s deputy. Both injured persons were transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics for emergency treatment. The male suffering from the gunshot wound died from his injuries.
The Iowa City Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are jointly investigating the incident. All surviving participants and all witnesses identified by police have been interviewed. Based on physical evidence found at the scene and eyewitness accounts, police have reconstructed the following events.
An Iowa City resident, 63-year-old John Phillip Bohnenkamp, was leaving the Hawkeye Hideaway, 310 E Prentiss St, with his wife. After crossing the street, Bohnenkamp became involved in a verbal exchange with a transient, 26-year-old John Bior Deng, after some of the bottles carried by Deng were broken in a nearby parking lot. The exchange escalated into a physical confrontation between Bohnenkamp and Deng. During the struggle, Deng stabbed Bohnenkamp in the torso behind his left arm. An on-duty Johnson County Sheriff’s deputy, 45-year-old Deputy Terry Stotler, was passing by and saw the fight. He notified his dispatcher and tried to stop the fight. Deputy Stotler was in plain-clothes which is typical attire for deputies assigned to the Civil Division. Deputy Stotler displayed a wallet badge, verbally identified himself, and commanded both participants to stop fighting. Deng was holding a knife and yelling threats at Bohnenkamp. Deputy Stotler drew his sidearm and repeatedly ordered Deng to drop the knife. Deng ignored the command and moved toward Bohnenkamp while holding the knife in a threatening manner. Deputy Stotler perceived that Deng was moving to stab Bohnenkamp. Deputy Stotler fired a single round that struck Deng in the left side and incapacitated him.
Responding officers attended to the injured persons and secured the scene. A knife was recovered near Deng’s body. Officers then began trying to locate and identify witnesses. Numerous persons cooperated, stepped forward, and were identified. All of these persons have since been interviewed by investigators. The witnesses had varying perspectives and some saw different portions of the incident as it unfolded; however, all of the witness accounts relate the same basics facts and circumstances as described above.
Deng suffered a single gunshot wound and subsequently died. An autopsy has been completed. Toxicology results are not immediately available. Typically, toxicology results may take as long as six weeks to process. The final autopsy report is pending those results.
Investigators, including the Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office, have been unable to locate or even identify any of Deng’s surviving family. Unfortunately, this is often a problem when the deceased is a transient. Deng was carrying a Texas identification card. In previous contacts with law enforcement, Deng had listed an acquaintance living in Texas as an emergency contact. Texas law enforcement officials have been unsuccessful in attempts to locate this acquaintance. Investigators continue to actively search for surviving family of Deng. Anyone with information regarding Deng, especially family members or past places of residence, is asked to contact the Iowa City Police Department.
Bohnenkamp underwent emergency surgery. He was released from the hospital on July 25. His injuries were not life-threatening.
Per Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek, Deputy Stotler, a 24-year veteran of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, has been placed on administrative leave. This is a standard practice in officer involved shootings.
Some media accounts have quoted additional witnesses to the events that apparently report a different account of the events. None of these persons has ever contacted any law enforcement investigator regarding the shooting. This morning, investigators were able to initiate contact with one of the men, Mike Tibbitts. An interview has been scheduled for today.
The investigation continues. Any witnesses to any part of the incident that have not yet come forward, or any persons with any information they believe may be useful to the investigation, are urged to contact the Iowa City Police Department or the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Per Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness, once the investigation is completed, the report will be sent to the State of Iowa Attorney General’s Office for review, including any applicable criminal charges. This is being done to avoid any possibility or perception of a conflict of interest involving the Johnson County Attorney’s Office. The Johnson County Attorney’s Office provides legal representation to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
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