A county attorney is calling the shooting death of an eastern Iowa man by a police officer a “justified homicide.”
Williamsburg Police Officer Blake Heller shot 53-year-old Robin Blaylock of North English on June 10 after officers responded to a domestic disturbance call involving a gun. Officers said Blaylock was outside his home, pointed a firearm at officers, and refused to obey their commands.
Iowa County Attorney Tim McMeen says Blaylock’s actions “justified the use of deadly force” by Officer Heller.
Here’s the full news release:
The Iowa County Attorney’s office has had an opportunity to review witness statements, reports, and recordings regarding the Robin Blaylock death investigation as a result of Robin Blaylock having died June 10, 2017. Robin Blaylock died as a result of a gunshot wound inflicted upon him by Williamsburg Police Officer Blake Heller. Iowa Code §704.1 defines reasonable force as that force and no more which a reasonable person, in similar circumstances, would judge to be necessary to prevent an injury or loss and can include deadly force if it is reasonable to believe that such force is necessary to avoid injury or risk to one’s life or safety or the life or safety of another, or it is reasonable to believe that such force is necessary to resist a like force or threat. In this case, the actions of Robin Blaylock pointing his firearm not once but twice at officers, while refusing to obey officer commands, justified the use of deadly force against Robin Blaylock. The officers could have on more than one occasion on June 10, 2017, feared for their own safety or the safety of the other officers such that the use of deadly force by Officer Blake Heller was justified under these circumstances. As a result, the Iowa County Attorney’s office has made the determination that the shooting of Robin Blaylock, while being a homicide, was a justified homicide on the part of Officer Blake Heller.
Tim D. McMeen / Iowa County Attorney