Pella Police officers had one of their most challenging cases in some time during a nearly 24-hour standoff with an Illinois man that ended Wednesday evening.
Pella Police Chief Robert Bokinsky tells KNIA/KRLS News the early stages of that scenario unfolding was made significantly more difficult after officers learned about a missing man Tuesday evening.
Bokinsky commends the work of the lieutenants and officers in handling both incidents with professionalism while spending hours away from their families to protect and serve the community. He also thanks the other agencies that came to assist, including Marion County Emergency Management, Pella Fire, Pella Ambulance, and the Iowa State Patrol.
Jonathan W. Martin of Galena, Illinois, was in a standoff with officers that ended Wednesday evening after an Iowa State Patrol Tactical Team found Martin dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police say he was wanted on a felony property crime charge in Illinois and barricaded himself into an apartment on West 16th Street. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is partnering with the Pella Police Department to further investigate.