Updated information at 12:05 pm
Des Moines Police spokesman. Sgt. Paul Parizek, says Sgt. Bemino and Officer Martin were ambushed while sitting in their respective police vehicles roughly two miles apart, and there appears to have been nothing either man could gave done to prevent the attacks.
"What we can tell by looking at the scene, is that it doesn’t appear that either officer had an opportunity to interact with the suspect," he said. "It doesn’t look like there was an exchange of conversation. There definitely wasn’t an opportunity for these officers to defend themselves or respond to the attack."
Updated information at 11:11 am
IPR's Sarah Boden reports the slain officers are identified as Sgt. Anthony "Tony" Beminio of the Des Moines Police Department, and Officer Justin Martin of the Urbandale Police Department. Police say there is nothing to indicate that the officers had any prior contact with Greene, and they believe Greene acted alone.
They say he was arrested near Redfield in Dallas County, after flagging down a state worker and asking to call 911.
Updated information at 9:59 am
Police say suspect Scott Michael Greene is in custody. Greene was located in Dallas County by the Dallas County Sheriffs Office and the Iowa State Patrol. He is being transported to Des Moines at this time. Police expect to release additional details late this morning.
Updated information at 7:55 am
Police have identified a suspect in the overnight shooting deaths of two Des Moines metro police officers early this morning. Des Moines police say 46 year old Urbandale resident Scott Michael Greene is being sought by investigators. Greene is 5’ 11”, 180 lbs with brown hair and green eyes. Greene was last known to be driving a blue 2011 Ford F-150 with Iowa license plate 780 YFR. The truck has a silver colored topper with a ladder rack.
Police request any with information they would like to share regarding this investigation can contact investigators at 515-283-4869 (Des Moines Police Dept.), 515-222-3321 (WESTCOM), or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa at 515-223-1400.
Original story
Two Police Officers in the Des Moines metro were killed overnight in an ambush style attack.
Police from Des Moines and the suburb of Urbandale responded to a report of gunfire just after 1:00 am in the area of 70th St. and Aurora Av., across from Urbandale High School. The first officers arriving found an Urbandale officer shot.
About a half-hour later, a Des Moines offer was found shot at about two miles away at Merle Hay Rd and Sheridan Dr. Both have died. Des Moines Police Officer Paul Parizek says there is a clear and present danger in the Des Moines metro as they continue to search for the suspect.
“On the surface right now, we’re just a few hours on this,” Parizek said at a news conference early this morning. “It doesn’t look like there was any interaction between them and whoever the coward was who shot them in their cars”
Police were still notifying the family members of the slain officers and are withholding the details until later today.
Urbandale schools have canceled classes for today.
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad issued a statement saying the state, "... is working hand in hand with local law enforcement in the investigation. We will continue monitoring and working with law enforcement in the interest of public safety. "
"An attack on public safety officers is an attack on the public safety of all Iowans," the statement said. " We call on Iowans to support our law enforcement officials in bringing this suspect to justice. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the police officers who were tragically killed in the line of duty as well as the officers who continue to put themselves in harm’s way.”
