A review by a state prosecutor concludes a Burlington policeman was “legally justified” in shooting a man who fled from a traffic stop earlier this month.
The shooting happened Sunday, October 1, early in the afternoon. Two Burlington Police officers heard loud music coming from the car 27-year-old Marquis Jones was driving and decided to issue a ticket. Jones stopped his vehicle. The patrol car stopped, then Jones started running.
The state prosecutor’s seven-page letter gives details of the foot chase and cites witnesses who say they saw Jones running with a gun. The state official determined “no criminal charges are warranted” and his letter concluded with this: “the Iowa Attorney General’s Office considers…the investigation closed.”
Veteran Burlington Police Officer Chris Chiprez fired the shot that killed Jones. The other officer involved in the incident was on his 21st day on duty as a Burlington Policeman. The state prosecutor who reviewed the case said Jones posed a “deadly threat” and he declared it a case of “justifiable homicide.”