The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a Decatur County man who rammed the bale spears of a tractor into the sheriff’s SUV.
Gerry Greenland was convicted of attempted murder and assault on a peace officer after the incident near Grand River in May of 2019. The sheriff was responding to a fight involving Greenland and family members. His SUV was damaged, but the sheriff escaped injury.
Greenland’s appeal says there was no evidence he knew the unmarked SUV contained a law officer, and questioned whether the slow moving tractor was a dangerous weapon. The Court of Appeals ruling says the red and blue flashing lights and a sheriff’s department license plate were a clear indication it was a law enforcement vehicle. It says if the sheriff had been driving a less sturdy vehicle, the bale spears would have penetrated the door and caused serious injury or death.