Court docs reveal new details about domestic abuse call resulting in officer shooting suspect

WEST LIBERTY, Iowa – A West Liberty man is accused of threatening to kill his girlfriend, and approaching police with a knife, before being shot by an officer in January.

Jay Bateman, 37, of West Liberty, is facing several charges including Going Armed with Intent, and two counts of Interfering with Official Acts, both a Class D Felony.

Bateman is also charged with First Degree Harassment, and three counts of Domestic Abuse, both an Aggravated Misdemeanor, plus one count of False Imprisonment, a Serious Misdemeanor.

On March 13, the West Liberty Police Department released the results of an investigation into the shooting.

^{Dispatch audio of response, shooting. (Broadcastify)}

The shooting.

On Jan. 11, police say officers with the West Liberty Police Department and Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 500 block of North Elm Street in West Liberty for a report of a domestic assault.

Adding, the caller reported she had been assaulted by her boyfriend, Bateman, and that he was still inside the home.

At around 7 a.m., police say West Liberty Officer Derek Holmes, and Muscatine County Deputy Damien Maynard, arrived on scene and tried speaking with Bateman but they did not get a response.

The officers entered the home where they found Bateman armed with a knife.

***West Liberty is located in NW Muscatine County, Iowa, about 35 miles west of Davenport, and about 15 miles southeast of Iowa City.***

According to police, Holmes and Maynard ‘repeatedly’ ordered Bateman to drop the knife while creating space between them, issuing the command ‘more than 15 times,’ but Bateman refused and continued advancing toward Holmes.

Police say both officers deployed their Tasers in an attempt to stop Bateman, but the Tasers had ‘no significant effect.’

As Bateman continued advancing toward him with a knife, Holmes was backed into the attached bathroom of the bedroom with no other exit when he fired his gun once, striking Bateman, according to police.

Police say Bateman was then disarmed and taken into custody, and officers immediately rendered emergency medical aid before he was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Officer Holmes and Deputy Maynard were not injured during the incident.

After being released from the hospital, police say Bateman was then taken to the Muscatine County Jail.

The shooting was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and reviewed by the Muscatine County Attorney’s Office.

As a result of the investigation, authorities concluded Officer Holmes’ actions were justified under Iowa law, and he has since been cleared and returned to duty.

“Officer Holmes responded appropriately and in accordance with his training, experience, and the law…The West Liberty Police Department commends both officers for their courage, professionalism, and decisive actions in bringing the situation under control.” – Chief Josh Houser

Click here to read the full statement.

Continue reading to learn more about the investigation into the shooting, as well as the alleged domestic abuse.

Abuse allegations.

^{Alleged victim identified by initials, KL.}

According to affidavits, KL and Bateman were in a relationship for a little over one year, and had been living together at a home in the 500 block of N Elm Street in West Liberty, for about 11 months.

On the day prior to, and day of, the shooting, Bateman ‘made multiple threats to KL that if she did not do what he wanted her to do he would kill her,” affidavits show.

THE DAY BEFORE SHOOTING

On the afternoon of Jan. 10, KL confronted Bateman about him drinking alcohol despite being prescribed medication for prior alcohol abuse, affidavits show.

Bateman became upset and complained about a variety of issues, including KL not cleaning the house that morning, and began calling her names, such as, ‘fat cunt,’ and telling her she needed to lose weight, among other verbal abuse, before he fell asleep in the living room, affidavits show.

KL told police, to this point, it had not been physical, only verbal. And that she poured out his alcohol while he was sleeping.

Bateman woke up angry about an hour or two later, yelling at KL, calling her names like, “bitch, cunt, whore,” before grabbing her arms and forcing her to lay down with him in the bedroom, despite her saying she did not want to, affidavits show.

KL told police she would try to get up when he fell asleep, but he would wake up, wrap his arms around her and hold her to keep her from being able to leave the bed.

Later that evening, when KL told Bateman she was going out to be with family, he said she was not leaving, she was going to stay there, and she was not going to go out and ‘be a slut,’ affidavits show.

KL told police Bateman said he ‘owns her,’ and claims that he tried to grab her by the arms and force her back into the bedroom, but when he could not get ahold of her arms, he grabbed her by her hair, which was in a bun, and pulled her into the bedroom and onto the bed and got on top of her.

When KL told Bateman she was going to see family and justed wanted them to cool off, he then grabbed a hatchet out of the nightstand drawer and told her that if she left, he was ‘going to kill her.’ affidavits show.

KL told police she ultimately stayed home, and he placed the hatchet back in the drawer and laid down with her.

THE DAY OF SHOOTING

On the morning of Jan. 11, KL was sleeping in the living room when Bateman stood over her, yelling ‘at the top of his lungs,’ saying he would not stop yelling until she came to bed with him, affidavits show.

KL told police Bateman would go to bed, go smoke a cigarette, and return to the couch and ‘yell’ her awake. And that she thinks he did this cycle ‘5 or 6 times’ before he tried grabbing her by the arms to force her back into the bedroom.

After KL pushed him away, Bateman went outside to smoke a cigarette before coming back inside, without warning, and punched her in the face twice with a closed fist, which split her lip, caused a laceration on her nose, and gave her a black eye, affidavits show.

Bateman punched KL with a closed fist a third time, but she had turned her head and was struck in the back of her head, before he took her phone and went to the kitchen where he grabbed an 8″ Astercook chef’s knife, affidavits show.

After grabbing the knife, Bateman told KL if she did not go to the bedroom with him, he was going to kill her, and made a stabbing gesture with the knife, affidavits show.

KL ultimately complied with Bateman’s demands because she felt he was going to stab her, affidavits show.

After seeing the injuries on her face in a mirror in the bathroom attached to the bedroom, KL began to cry and went back to the bed with Bateman, who was no longer holding the knife, affidavits show.

This is when KL claims Bateman said if they weren’t going to be able to continue their relationship, he should just kill her, and then himself, because he ‘could not live without her,’ affidavits show.

After calming down, Bateman told KL, if she called the cops, he would have the cops shoot him, affidavits show.

Shortly after, while Bateman was outside smoking, KL grabbed her keys and waited at the back door. When Bateman walked inside, she walked out the back door to her vehicle and drove away, affidavits show.

KL told police she was being held against her will until she was able to escape.

OFFICERS RESPOND TO THE HOME

At around 7 a.m., Officer Holmes and Deputy Maynard arrived at the home, and were allowed inside, where they found Bateman holding the knife in his right hand, above his head, as if he was going to stab it in a downward motion, affidavits show.

While pointing Tasers at him, the officers ordered Bateman to put the knife down but he refused, and continued to approach them with the intent to use the knife to force the officers to shoot him, affidavits show.

Latest updates.

As of March 18, Bateman is in custody at the Muscatine County Jail on $24,300 cash only bonds. He is set to return to court March 27 at 10 a.m. for a pretrial conference.

On Feb. 12, Bateman pleaded Not Guilty.

On Feb. 3, a Temporary No Contact Order was granted for KL, against Bateman.

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