Iowa Attorney General’s Office Concludes Sioux City Officers Acted with Legal Justification in Shooting

DES MOINES-In a report issued today, the Iowa Attorney General's Office has concluded that the October 20, 2024, fatal shooting of Jamie Orozco by two Sioux City police officers was legally justified.

The Attorney General's conclusion was based on a review and investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The investigation found that on October 20, at 7:22 p.m., two concerned citizens reported that a person, later identified as Orozco, was publicly waving a gun. At the time of the encounter, Orozco "racked" the slide of the gun, telling a nearby couple, "Don't worry, it's not for you," and then left on foot. When the officers found Orozco, they exited their patrol cars to talk to him. Orozco refused repeated commands to stop, pulled a silver handgun from his waistband that he pointed at the officers, and then ran off. As the officers chased after him, Orozco fired a shot at the officers and missed. An officer fired a single shot back but did not hit him. The officers eventually lost sight of Orozco.

At 10:08 p.m., a SWAT team entered the home where Orozco was believed to be hiding. Everyone in the home was brought outside while the officers swept the house. Orozco was then discovered in an attic crawl space that was blocked and locked from the outside. One officer partially entered the crawl space with a shield and his gun drawn. Orozco was sitting on his hands and knees just three to four feet away from the officer. A cloth bundle separated them which the officer suspected contained a weapon. The officer told Orozco that if he moved, he would shoot. Orozco responded, "I'm not going back to prison." Orozco then refused commands to stop and reached for the bundle. The officer shot Orozco one time in the head. Lifesaving measures were provided on the scene, and Orozco was transported to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries on October 27. The officers found that a gun was indeed hidden within the cloth bundle in the crawl space.

Orozco had a criminal history, including felony convictions that made it illegal for him to possess a firearm. He was also participating in sex offender treatment for a conviction involving inappropriate acts with a child. Orozco's treatment sessions revealed that he was relapsing on methamphetamine and that he wanted to go out by "suicide by cop" or by "taking one himself" to avoid prison. Orozco's girlfriend reported that he was not taking his prescribed medication to treat mental health conditions.

The report is issued under the Attorney General's independent authority under Iowa Code section 13.12 to investigate or prosecute conduct of law enforcement that results in death.

A copy of the report is available here.

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For More Information:

Alyssa Brouillet | Communications Director

(515) 823-9112

[email protected]