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Urbandale Man Charged With Two Counts of 1st Degree Murder In Police Killings

JOHN PEMBLE/IPR FILE
Flowers and handmade cards cover a police car parked outside of the Des Moines Police Department, in memory of two officers killed in the line of duty.

An Urbandale man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of two central Iowa police officers. Scott Michael Greene is accused of killing Des Moines Sgt. Anthony "Tony" Beminio and Officer Justin Martin of the Urbandale Police Department, in separate ambush-style attacks early Wednesday morning. 

Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert calls Greene "a monster" and says there’s no way to make reason of the officers' deaths.

"This was calculated murder," says Wingert. "It was cowardly from the way it was carried out to the way it was ended." 

Upon his arrest, Greene was secured in the handcuffs belonging to Beminio and Martin.  Police say both officers were shot while seated in their police vehicles, and neither Beminio nor Martin had the opportunity to defend themselves. 

The Des Moines PD also revealed some additional investigative information. An explosive detection dog uncovered a rifle, believed to be the weapon used in the attacks. Investigators also found Greene’s truck, abandoned in a wooded area in Dallas County. Greene surrendered just south of Redfield in that county.

The Urbandale and Des Moines Departments are hesitant to offer too much information pertaining to the investigations, citing the need to protect the prosecution’s case.

"We get one shot, and one shot only, and we’re going to do it right the first time, so we don’t have to do it the second time," says Sgt. Paul Parizek, spokesman for Des Moines PD. "Talking too much about the details will definitely impair that. And I know the county attorney would appreciate it if I spare a lot of those."

If convicted, Greene will spend the rest of his life in prison with no possibility of parole. 

For people wishing to donate to memories funds of Martin or Beminio, there are accounts established at the accounts at the Des Moines Police Officers' Credit Union