Linn County man killed during officer-involved shooting near Cascade

The man killed last week in an officer-involved shooting along Highway 151 near Cascade has been identified as a 36-year-old from Linn County.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation issued a press release Wednesday identifying the driver and a law enforcement officer who was injured, along with other law enforcement personnel involved in the July 1 shooting.

The shooting occurred during a traffic stop around 4:25 a.m. on U.S. Highway 151 north of the Highway 136 interchange near Cascade. Members of the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Monticello Police Department and Jones County Sheriff’s Office conducted the traffic stop related to a "multi-jurisdictional investigation," according to the release.

During the stop, the driver, James Young Sherrill Jr., 36, produced a handgun, according to authorities. Shots were fired and Sherrill, the lone occupant of the vehicle, was killed, while Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Adam Williams was injured.

Sherrill has been convicted of various drug and theft charges in the past, and lived at addresses in Cedar Rapids and Benton County, according to online court records.

Williams was taken to MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center and then to University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City for treatment. He was later discharged from the hospital after being treated for a gunshot wound, and was placed on critical incident leave.

Williams, 46, is an 18-year veteran of the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

Dubuque County Sheriff Joe Kennedy said last week that this was the first shooting involving a Dubuque County sheriff’s deputy in “easily 30 years.”

Other law enforcement involved in the shooting include Dubuque Police Officer Chad Leitzen, 49, a 23-year veteran of the department; and Monticello Police Officer Cole Millard, 42, a two-year veteran of the department.

The Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the DCI, which is investigating the shooting. The state agency’s findings will be reviewed by the Dubuque County Attorney’s Office and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office to determine whether law enforcement personnel were justified in their actions.

“This is an ongoing investigation. No additional information will be released at this time,” according to the press release.

The Dubuque Telegraph Herald contributed to this report.

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com