Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker, today (Wednesday), released additional information about a fatal stand-off that took place Tuesday night, in Oakland. Danker says at around 7:15-p.m., Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to 320 Gates Street in Oakland, with regard to man who was inside the residence with a loaded long gun.The individual was identified as 44-year old Marshall Deshong, of Oakland.

Early reports were that Deshong made comments that he had four bullets, three for responding law enforcement and one for himself. Assistance was requested and Deputies from Shelby and Cass County as well as Officers from the Iowa Department of Transportation and Troopers from the Iowa State Patrol responded to assist. As law enforcement set up a perimeter around the residence and secured the neighborhood contact was made with the man.

Attempts to talk Deshong into exiting the residence and surrendering peacefully, were unsuccessful and communications ultimately deteriorated. Just before 8-p.m., Deputies report hearing a loud “bang,” and hearing glass shattering. A couple of minutes later, a second “bang” was heard and Deputies report seeing what was described as “orange sparks” near the area they were taking cover. A third “muffled” bang was heard, and it was later discovered that one of the Sheriff’s Office Uniform Patrol Vehicles had a hole in the rear bumper cover that is believed to be from a shot fired by Deshong.

Deputies and the other Law Enforcement Officers on scene maintained the perimeter of the scene until the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team (ERT) arrived on scene and took over the incident. Efforts to re-establish communications with Deshong were unsuccessful. Ultimately a tactical robot was deployed into the residence by ERT members. Inside the residence Deshong was observed by the tactical robot camera, to be lying on the floor unresponsive.

Entry was made into the residence and at approximately 12:20-a.m. today (Wednesday), Deshong was found with a fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound. His body will be transported to the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. The incident remains under investigation.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports an Afton woman was arrested Tuesday morning at her home, on a Union County warrant for Homicide by Vehicle/OWI. The charge against 61-year old Donna Jo Spare was in connection with a January 16th crash on Highway 34 about three-miles east of Creston. The accident claimed the life of 49-year old Deanne Lee Hoffman, of Creston.

The Atlantic Police Department reports two local residents were arrested Monday on drug charges. 19-year old Lucas Stone, and 25-year old Alexandra Stone, both of Atlantic, were taken into custody on Cass County warrants for Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Deliver. The couple were booked into the Cass County Jail.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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NEW HAMPTON, Iowa (AP) – The National Weather Service has issued flash flood warnings for several northeast Iowa counties following heavy overnight rains. The service said Wednesday that more than 5 1/2 inches has fallen in Dorchester and more than 4 1/4 inches in Riceville and Bluffton.

Winneshiek and Allamakee county officials say several roads are washed out or are covered with runoff. Sandbagging is underway in Spillville and Fort Atkinson. School has been canceled in Decorah, Riceville and several other towns because of the heavy rain and flooding.

The Creston Police Department today (Wednesday) released a report on recent activity. Monday morning, 28-year old Danica Hornyak, of Creston, was cited for allowing an animal to run at-large. Hornyak was released on a promise to appear later, in court. And at around 12:45-a.m. today (Wednesday), 28-year old Courtney Mitchell, of Sioux Falls, SD., was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a charge of OWI/1st offense, Mitchell was being held in the Ringgold County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

Authorities said also, no injuries were reported following an accident Monday afternoon at the intersection of Townline Road and Sumner Avenue. Officials say vehicles driven by 75-year old Joy Standley, of Greenfield, and 22-year old Danielle Schafroth, of Lenox, collided at around 2:10-p.m., when Standley failed to yield the right-of-way, while making a left turn. No citations were issued. Damage from the collision amounted to $2,000.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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A standoff between law enforcement and a man who threatened to shoot officers and himself, ended late last night in Oakland, with the man dead. According to multiple media reports, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a home on Gates Street in Oakland, at around 7:45-p.m.

The area was blocked-off after a shot was fired from a home toward a deputy. The round reportedly struck a deputies’ cruiser in the bumper. Another shot was fired soon afterward. Authorities tried to make contact with the subject, but after not hearing from him for several hours, sent in a robotic search device, which returned images that revealed the man was dead on the kitchen floor, from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. No other injuries were reported.

The man’s name has not yet been released. Investigators were on the scene through early this (Wednesday) morning.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Thunderstorms have lashed several parts of eastern Nebraska, leaving thousands of people without power and some stranded by street flooding and storm debris. The National Weather Service says an off-duty weather service employee saw a rope tornado briefly touch down around 8 p.m. Tuesday, three miles south-southeast of Kennard in Washington County. No injuries were reported.

The Omaha Public Power District reported that as of 5 a.m. today (Wednesday), nearly 9,700 customers were without power in Douglas and several other counties.
Up to 6 inches of rain was reported near Blair, and street flooding occurred in Omaha, Fremont and other cities.

Across the Missouri River, about 5-miles north/northwest of Council Bluffs, winds gusted from 65- to as much as 96-miles per hour from 9:45-p.m. through 10:15-p.m. Flights into Omaha’s Epply Airfield were diverted to other airports during the peak thunderstorm activity.

Police in Council Bluffs responded early this (Wednesday) morning to a report of a person lying on the street in the 3600 block of 2nd Avenue. Upon arrival at around 1-a.m., officers located and identified the person as 26-year old Mark Lear, Jr.  Lear was taken to Creighton University Hospital by rescue squad, for treatment of what initially appeared to be serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident. Anyone having any information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Criminal Investigation Division at (712)-328-4728 or Crime Stoppers at (712) 328-7867.