A north-central Iowa lawman is being returned to duty after a fatal shooting. The Webster City Police Department received confirmation today that Sergeant Scot Ely has been cleared of any criminal conduct regarding the shooting incident of Justin Jensen on August 26th.
Webster City Police Chief Brian Hughes received a letter from the Iowa Department of Justice stating the investigation and video clearly demonstrates the officer’s use of deadly force was justified. It continued to state that Officer Ely was left with no alternative but to fire upon Jensen.
Officer Ely did so after exhausting every other possibility to avoid having to discharge his weapon. Ely was evaluated by a psychologist and was deemed fit for duty. The last stage of this incident will involve a Webster City Police Department internal investigation to determine if any department policies were violated. Ely has been taken off paid administrative leave and placed on administration duties. He will return to work this Monday.
The results of this internal investigation will determine Ely’s permanent work status. As for Justin Jensen’s criminal involvement regarding the incident, it is still under investigation.
By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City