LINN COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – A man who acted as an informant against a meth dealer in Independence, is suing agents of the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshal’s Service for deliberate indifference in leaving him at substantial risk of harm. According to the lawsuit, U.S. Marshals executed a material witness warrant on Ethan Palmer at his home and took him into custody. He was taken to the Linn County Corrections Center (LCCC) for holding until he testified at Justin Buehler’s trial. The suit says Buehler had previously told inmates Johnny Blahnik Church and Gregory Sills that Palmer would likely be housed in LCCC and provided them with his name and description. Church allegedly assured Buehelr that he would “take care of it.” Palmer reportedly pleaded with some or all Linn County Defendants to place him in a single cell, but his pleas were ignored, and he was moved to the general population pod after initially being place in a single cell. Video filed in the lawsuit shows Palmer being assaulted by Church and Sills for approximately two minutes. The assault was monitored by live video surveillance but no staff came to Palmer’s aid during the attack. Palmer still testified as a material witness at Buehler’s trial. He said he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, and continues to have physical and mental health complications arising from the assault.
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – Transgender students won’t be allowed to use a public school restroom in Iowa that aligns with their gender identity, nor will they be allowed gender-affirming care under bills that Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law on Wednesday. The “Bathroom Bill” (SF 482) was signed by Gov. Reynolds, who argued it was needed to protect children who might feel uncomfortable sharing a restroom with a student whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. Under the law, a person believing that a school is allowing people to use facilities that do not align with their birth sex may file a written complaint to the school. The school then has three days to address the violation. The governor also signed bill SF 538, which bans so-called gender-affirming care for transgender teens in Iowa. Democrats and several medical associations say these treatments can be life-saving. But Reynolds had previously stated that it’s important to understand what these therapies can do in the long term.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A suspect in the Taboo Nightclub shooting has accepted a plea agreement that would lower charges of Murder in the Second Degree down to Voluntary Manslaughter. According to the criminal complaint, police said Timothy Rush brought a 9-millimeter gun to Taboo Nightclub. Investigators say surveillance video inside the club shows him shooting into the crowd, killing 35-year-old Nicole Owens and seriously hurting Marvin Cox, who was shot in the head. The criminal complaint says Rush “fired intentionally and indiscriminately. And that he started shooting after someone else fired first. But that Rush fired “into a large crowd of people.” The plea agreement would see Rush guilty of 2 counts of voluntary manslaughter & 7 other felony counts. A judge will still decide on whether or not the plea agreement will be accepted at a future hearing. Rush is facing up to 30 years if the judge accepts the deal.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Police said they arrested two people in connection to a burglary at a Cedar Rapids business earlier this month. In a press release, police said several people stole more than $200,000 worth of property from a business in the 4400 block of Center Point Road on March 6. Several vehicles and about 20 DJI brand drones were reportedly stolen. Police arrested Levi Schutterele, 30, of Cedar Rapids, and Zachery Melsha, 33, of Cedar Rapids. Both face charges of First Degree Theft and Conspiracy to Commit a Non-Forcible Felony. Police said they have recovered several vehicles and drones during their investigation. The investigation remains ongoing, additional charges are expected.
