Iowa Concerns of Police Survivors

Night Marshal Bill Meadows was shot and killed while investigating a burglary in progress at the Hartman Packing Company on Main Street in Plainfield.

At approximately 2:00 am, a noise disturbance call occurred at the locker plant. Officer Meadows responded and arrived at the plant with the owner and his son. As Officer Meadows entered the building through the front door, he surprised the burglars and was fatally shot through the heart.

The suspects fled the scene and were never apprehended.

Night Marshal Meadows was a United States Army WWII and Korean War veteran and had served with the Plainfield Police Department for five years. He was survived by his parents and aunt.

Police Officer Felix Barta was shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance.

After shooting Officer Barta, the subject shot his ex-girlfriend and then committed suicide.

Officer Barta had served with the Cedar Rapids Police Department for 18 years. He was survived by his wife and two children.

Police Officer Ralph Ogan was shot and killed while checking on a business at 801 Main Street at 5:45 am.

While on patrol he observed a vehicle parked across the street from a business with a broken window. He approached the vehicle and spoke with the occupants. After a brief conversation, the rear passenger side suspect began to exit the vehicle. As Officer Ogan walked around the rear of the vehicle to confront this suspect he was shot twice in the upper torso.

The suspect and his accomplices were apprehended and sentenced to prison. The shooter was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment and died in prison ten years to the day of the murder.

Officer Ogan was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War and had served with the Grinnell Police Department for four years. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Patrolman Haubert was killed in an automobile accident while transporting an injured woman and her husband to a hospital. The cruiser went out of control on the slippery highway and struck another vehicle head-on. All three occupants of the police vehicle were killed as well as two occupants of the other vehicle.

Captain Thomas Andreano was killed in an automobile crash while responding to a drowning call.

As the patrol car he was riding in entered the intersection of Army Post Road and Indianola Road, a car ran a stop sign and struck him. The driver of the patrol car was injured in the collision, and the two occupants of the other car died as well. None of the four were wearing seat belts.

Captain Andreano was a United States Army WWII veteran and had served with the Des Moines Police Department for 22 years. He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter. His brother also served with the Des Moines Police Department.

Sergeant Marvin VanderLinden was killed in an automobile crash while responding to another accident call.

His patrol car was struck by another vehicle as he passed through the gravel intersection of NW Sixteenth Street and 142nd Avenue near Sheldahl. Sergeant VanderLinden and the other driver were both killed instantly.

Sergeant VanderLinden had served with the Iowa State Patrol for 24 years.

Sheriff Robert Bornholdt was killed in an automobile crash in Wright County while transporting prisoners to a state facility in southeast Iowa.

Sheriff Bornholdt had served with the O'Brien County Sheriff's Office for 10 years before being appointed sheriff in July 1966. He was elected to the position in November 1966, less than one month before he was killed. He was survived by his wife and two children.

Captain William Zimmerman suffered a fatal heart attack minutes after struggling with an inmate at the Iowa Men's Reformatory in Anamosa.

He and other officers had to forcibly remove an inmate from his cell in order to move him to isolation. As they attempted to remove him from the cell the man struggled with the officers and then attempted to hold onto the cell's bars and railings.

Minutes after getting the man into isolation Captain Zimmerman collapsed.

Captain Zimmerman had served with the Iowa Department of Corrections for six years. He was survived by his wife and four children.

Deputy Sheriff Charles Gates was shot and killed while assisting the Pella Police Department in responding to a domestic disturbance call of a man making threats in a neighborhood.

As officers arrived and approached the house the man opened fire with a rifle, striking Deputy Gates' vehicle three times and then striking Deputy Gates in the hip. The suspect attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head as he was shot and killed by return fire from other officers. Deputy Gates was transported to Pella Hospital and then Methodist Hospital in Des Moines where he succumbed to his wounds the next day.

Deputy Gates had served with the agency for eight years and had previously served with the Pella Police Department for five years. He was survived by his wife and son.

Officer Stephens was shot and killed during a robbery of a local restaurant while moonlighting as a security guard. Officer Stephens was accompanying the manager as he counted the day's receipts in preparation for making a night deposit.

Several suspects entered the restaurant in an attempt to rob it. The suspects shot and killed Officer Stephens and the manager after stealing the money. It is believed both men were shot because Officer Stephens recognized one of the suspects.

The suspects were never identified.

Officer Stephens had served with the agency for just over 7 years. He was survived by his two children.

Patrolman James Rodine was accidentally shot and killed when his gun fell and discharged.

He was working as a dispatcher at the time and had brought the new gun in to show his fellow officers. He accidentally dropped the weapon and it discharged when it struck the desk. The round struck him in the chest, fatally wounding him.

Patrolman Rodine had served with the Des Moines Police Department for four years.

Chief of Police Ralph Thomas succumbed to injuries sustained nine days earlier when his patrol car was struck head-on by another vehicle on Highway 71, between Milford and Okoboji.

He was returning to Okoboji when another vehicle crossed the center line and struck his patrol car head-on. He was transported to Dickinson County Memorial Hospital where he remained until succumbing to his injuries.

Chief Thomas had served as the chief of police and city clerk for six years. He was survived by his wife and daughter.

Captain Davidchik succumbed to a gunshot wound received eight days earlier while attempting to talk a man out of committing suicide. The suspect shot him in the leg. The wound caused Captain Davidchik to develop blood clots in both lungs and he died eight days later.

The suspect, 26, charged with murder, convicted of manslaughter, was sentenced to 8 years.

Correctional Officer Samuel Reed was stabbed to death by an inmate at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison.

The inmate, 31, had been sentenced to prison in 1960 for 25 years for a robbery conviction. In 1965 he received an additional 40 years for stabbing a fellow inmate to death. An additional life term was added on April 24th, 1970, when he was convicted of Officer Reed's murder. In 1981 during a prison riot, he took a dozen staff members hostage, but none were killed. He was considered the most dangerous inmate in the Iowa prison system.

Officer Reed was a United States Navy WWII veteran and had served with the Iowa Department of Corrections for 15 years. He was survived by a daughter.

Chief Berendes was beaten to death with a shovel while investigating a burglary at a local garage. The suspect was convicted of murder and sentenced to 50 years, but was paroled less then three years later.

Chief Berendes had served with the agency for 13 years. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and two daughters.