Man shot and killed by Des Moines police officers identified

DES MOINES, Iowa — Police have released the name of a Nebraska man who was shot and killed by Des Moines police officers Tuesday morning after they say he pointed a gun at them following a chase.

Sgt. Paul Parizek of the Des Moines Police Department said the deceased man has been identified as 45-year-old Weston Dean Derby of Bellevue, Nebraska.

Police said they responded to a call of someone violating a restraining order in the 5800 block of SE 35th Circle around 3:30 a.m. and found a suspect vehicle in the area. There was a short chase and the vehicle went off the road in the 4300 block of E. Army Post Road.

The driver, later identified as Derby, exited the vehicle into thick vegetation and ran. Sgt. Parizek said he turned toward officers and produced a gun, first pointing it at his own head, and then pointing it at officers. That’s when both officers fired at Derby and he was hit with gunfire. Derby died at the scene.

Police offered some background information on the suspect Tuesday, before naming him.

“He may have had a relationship with this victim sometime back. She hadn’t heard anything from him in a very long time. He showed up on her doorstep Friday, she immediately went and applied for the no-contact order. It looks like he had an existing order with another person in Nebraska.”

The car he crashed Tuesday morning was stolen from Council Bluffs several days ago and the plates were stolen locally.

Sgt. Parizek said, “So that indicates quite a bit of premeditation itself.”

One of the officers on the scene was also injured by gunfire and is continuing to recover.

It was initially thought the officer had been hit by a shot fired by Derby, but police later determined he had been hit by gunfire from the second officer .

The 37-year-old officer, whose name has not been released, suffered critical injuries in the shooting but has been improving substantially. He was in serious but stable condition late Tuesday morning and Sgt. Parizek said Wednesday the officer continues to recover and remains hospitalized.

Sgt. Parizek said the second officer involved in the shooting remains on paid administrative leave. The DCI is continuing its investigation into the officer-involved shooting.

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