Belle Plaine man charged with multiple crimes after allegedly throwing knives at Tama County deputies
BELLE PLAINE — A Belle Plaine man is facing a litany of charges after allegedly throwing knives at responding law enforcement officers during a standoff at his home in rural Tama County on Sunday.
According to court records, officers were called to a residence between Elberon and Belle Plaine for a reported domestic assault allegedly committed by 23-year-old Atreyu Michael Tarbill, who had assaulted a family member and possibly broken her wrist. Once officers arrived, Tarbill armed himself with a knife, and a brief standoff ensued.
“During the standoff, Atreyu threw multiple objects at officers to include a crow bar, and knives. Atreyu also shattered multiple glass items and broke every TV in the house,” the report reads.
A subsequent press release issued by Tama County Sheriff Casey Schmidt on Thursday said the first responding deputy worked to evacuate the other individuals in the house to safety, and when the second deputy arrived, Tarbill began throwing kitchen knives out the windows. The deputies are identified as Brandon Boldt and Jacob Murphy in the press release, and one of the knives missed Boldt’s head “by only a few inches.”
“This was a situation where deadly force would have been legally and morally justified. But the
circumstances kept changing, and because of the way our deputies assessed it moment by moment, they resolved it without having to use it,” Schmidt wrote. “And that decision was not made out of fear or hesitation. It was a result of clear thinking, proper training, communication, and doing the job the right way under pressure.”
Tarbill eventually came outside, and a taser was employed to subdue him. He was taken into custody without serious injury.
Every situation law enforcement responds to is different. Every call presents a new set of facts. There is no script. Law enforcement acts based on what is in front of them in that moment. not what they wish would happen or what others expect. And they carry the weight of those decisions long after the scene is cleared,” Schmidt wrote. “Anyone who thinks law enforcement just shows up and starts shooting has clearly never seen what law enforcement face in real time. In this incident, they were under attack. They stayed calm. They stayed sharp. They got it right.”
Tarbill is now facing a total of 14 charges: intimidation with a dangerous weapon — injure/provoke fear, a Class C felony, assault in persons in certain occupations — bodily injury, second degree criminal mischief and interference with official acts — dangerous weapon, all Class D felonies, four counts of child endangerment and four counts of first degree harassment, all aggravated misdemeanors, domestic abuse assault — injury or mental illness first, a serious misdemeanor, and obstructing emergency communications, a simple misdemeanor. He is being held in the Tama County Jail on a $50,600 bond. An initial hearing is set for Aug. 8 at 9 a.m.
The Tama County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Belle Plaine Police Department, Tama Police Department, Toledo Police Department, and Belle Plaine EMS.