A report from the Iowa Attorney General’s Office says a Jefferson police officer was justified in the fatal shooting of a man following an attemped traffic stop.
The report says Keegan Dean Kennedy fled from Jefferson Police Officer Shaydon Thurman when the officer attempted to stop him around 1:25 a-m on Sunday, July 26th for careless driving, speeding, and stop sign violations. Kennedy eventually stopped on a county road and jumped of his car and ran at the officer’s patrol car while holding a knife in the air. Officer Thurman fired at Kennedy, who continued coming at him and stabbed the officer in the face. The officer pushed Kennedy away and fired at him again. Kennedy died from his wounds at the scene. Officer Thurman was treated for the stab wound to his face.
The A-G’s report says the car Kennedy was driving was determined to have been stolen in Jefferson that night. And it says that Kennedy’s family said he had told them if he was approached by law enforcement he would commit “suicide by cop.”
