Deputy was justified when he shot and killed a man in June in domestic dispute, state says

A sheriff deputy who shot and killed a man in June was legally justified in his actions, the Iowa Attorney General's Office determined Monday.

Two Franklin County deputies had no choice but to use deadly force and shoot Matthew T.J. Davis of Hampton, 30, on June 20 after he pointed a gun at them while intoxicated during a domestic incident at his former partner's Sheffield home, according to a report following a state Division of Criminal Investigation probe. There was evidence that Davis was suicidal and wanted to be shot by police, the report says.

The two deputies arrived at the home around 9:55 p.m., with body cams recording, and saw Davis in the driveway holding a gun. One deputy left the police vehicle with a rifle and moved behind a nearby tree, while the other deputy took cover behind a vehicle door with a pistol.

The deputies then told Davis to drop his gun at least 17 times, but he refused, according to the report. A minute before the shooting, a vehicle passed in front of the driveway where Davis was standing. One of the deputies ordered the vehicle to leave, and it passed.

Davis then began to approach the deputies, the report says, and they ordered him to stop. Body cam footage showed Davis raising his arm while holding the gun, according to the report. The deputy with the rifle then fired twice and hit Davis once in the abdominal area.

Davis said "Thank you for shooting me" to the officers, the report says. He died on the way to a hospital.

His gun turned out to be a pellet gun. The report says the officers would have had no way of knowing that in the moment, and Davis' former partner told police that Davis drunkenly called her on the night of the incident, saying he was having dark thoughts and wanted to see her and the children. He then said that he had stolen a real gun and was going to "end it." He also said he would take out the gun so police would shoot him if they arrived, the report says.

Davis then drove to the former partner's home, where her teenage son was alone. The ex, who was at a sports event, was frightened and started driving home.

The former partner and Davis had been in a relationship since 2017 and had a child together. Davis moved out of the home in June after their relationship broke down. The ex-partner told police that Davis had a history of threatening suicide and had become upset and angry after she started a new relationship.

He was drinking heavily and began sending inappropriate and angry messages in the days before the shooting, she said to investigators.

The Attorney General's Office determined that the deputies' decision was reasonable under the circumstance and there is no need for criminal charges following the investigation.

Chris Higgins covers the eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_.