The Iowa Attorney General says two Black Hawk and one Bremer County deputy acted appropriately following the death of a man they arrested.
Deputies say Willie Earl Washington fled at speeds of more than 120 miles-an-hour when they tried to stop him in Waterloo for a traffic violation in December. Once he was stopped, deputies say Washington battled with them and they held him face down to put handcuffs on him. Washington said he couldn’t breath and was unresponsive when deputies turned him over. He later died at the hospital.
The DCI investigation found Washington was face down approximately 87 seconds and the cause of death was a combination of cardiorespiratory arrest, an enlarged heart, obesity, methamphetamine use, and positioning. It concluded officers used no more force or time than was necessary to handcuff him.
