In the pre-dawn hours of November 2, 2016, a senseless act of violence shattered the peace in Des Moines, Iowa, claiming the life of 24-year-old Caucasian male, Justin Scott Martin, an Urbandale Police Officer. Martin was seated in his patrol car at the intersection of 70th Street and Aurora Avenue when a man approached and, without warning, opened fire into the driver's side of the vehicle. Citizens nearby heard the barrage of 15 to 30 gunshots and promptly called 911.
Responding officers discovered Officer Martin inside his vehicle, having sustained fatal injuries.
The assailant fled the scene, leaving a community in shock and a massive law enforcement presence to descend upon the area. A perimeter was quickly established as officers from multiple agencies began the search for the person responsible for this ambush-style attack. The senseless violence of the night was not yet over. Approximately 20 minutes after the shooting of Officer Martin, the same individual ambushed another officer, Sergeant Anthony Beminio of the Des Moines Police Department, at the intersection of Merle Hay Road and Sheridan Avenue, just two miles away. Sergeant Beminio was also shot while in his patrol car and later died from his injuries.
The manhunt for the suspect, later identified as Scott Michael Greene, intensified throughout the morning. By approximately 9:30 a.m., Greene surrendered to law enforcement officers in Dallas County, bringing an end to the immediate threat. The investigation that followed revealed Greene as the perpetrator in both fatal shootings. On May 19, 2017, Scott Michael Greene pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Officer Justin Martin and Sergeant Anthony Beminio. He was subsequently sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison.
