Kevin Ray "Arbo" Arbogast, a 45-year-old White / Caucasian male from Centerville, Iowa, died on Sunday, November 21, 2021, following an encounter with law enforcement. The incident unfolded in a residential neighborhood in the 21,000 block of 560th Street in rural Appanoose County when officers were dispatched to investigate a domestic assault.
Two officers from the Centerville Police Department and a deputy from the Appanoose County Sheriff's Office responded to the call shortly before 4:00 in the afternoon. During their interaction at the scene, the situation escalated, and at least one officer fired their weapon, resulting in Arbogast being shot and killed. No officers were harmed during the incident. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was brought in to lead the investigation into the officer-involved shooting at the request of the Centerville Police Chief and the Appanoose County Sheriff.
As part of their standard procedure, the DCI's investigation involved a thorough review of all available evidence, including footage from body-worn cameras that the officers were equipped with, to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting. An autopsy was ordered to be performed by the State Medical Examiner's Office to determine the official cause and manner of death.
In the immediate aftermath, the law enforcement officers involved were placed on critical incident leave, a routine step in such investigations that is not indicative of any wrongdoing. The identities of the officers were not immediately made public. The investigation by the DCI focused on the circumstances surrounding the use of deadly force by law enforcement, and there was no mention of any other suspects being sought in connection with the domestic assault call. Officials noted that domestic disturbance calls are often among the most dangerous and unpredictable situations that law enforcement officers face.
