A hearing for two former western Iowa police officers, charged in connection with hunting incidents last year in Cass and Adair counties, is being delayed until April 5th. Twenty-nine-year old Aaron Holtz and 30-year old Bradley Wendt, both of Harlan, had been scheduled to appear today in Cass County magistrate court, but according to court records, Judge Steven Heckenbach has ordered the hearing to be continued.
The former Harlan police officers face charges of trespassing and pursuing a deer with a motor vehicle in Cass County. Wendt faces an additional charge in Adair County of shooting from the roadway. The incidents allegedly occurred on November 24th, 2006.
Both men were fired by the Harlan City Council in February. The reason or reasons for their firings were never made public, but both men say they don’t believe their firing was the result of the alleged hunting violations, and they continue to fight their terminations.