Marion police identify teen fatally shot after he threatened police with machete

The teen who was fatally shot by a Marion police officer Wednesday after he threatened two officers with a machete was identified late Thursday by department officials.

Police identified Saber Jonathan Bernard, 18, as the person who was fatally shot by an officer.

Department officials previously said officers were called at 7:38 a.m. to the 4100 block of Deer Valley Drive Wednesday to talk to Bernard after he asked his neighbor to call the police because he wanted to talk to an officer.

Two officers spoke with the man but he didn’t say why he wanted to talk to them. After a few minutes, he pulled out a “concealed machete” and moved toward the officers, according to police.

The officers told the man to drop the weapon, and one of the officers deployed a taser, which was not effective. The man approached the other officer, still holding the machete, and the officer backed away while continuing to tell the man to drop the weapon, before shooting once at the man, police said.

Officials said the teen “continued to resist as the officers placed him into custody, but quickly became unresponsive.”

“At that point, officers initiated CPR, and paramedics were summoned to the scene,” according to a news release.

The teen was taken to a hospital but later died.

The officers involved in the call have both been placed on critical incident leave, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has been contacted to investigate the shooting.

“The City of Marion and the Marion Police Department mourn the loss of life and all impacted by this situation,” the release stated.

Once the DCI completes its investigation, Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks will review and make his findings regarding use of force.

Trish Mehaffey covers state and federal courts for The Gazette

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com