COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — A murder in Regency, a car chase and ultimately a police shooting that killed suspect Matthew Briggs: after a review of the evidence, the Pottawattamie County Attorney, Matt Wilber, announced today no charges will be filed against the officers.
Body camera video from Council Bluffs Police Officer Mark Archibald shows the end of a July 8 chase that started in Nebraska and crossed into Iowa.
Archibald brought the more-than-20-minute police pursuit to a close by implementing a PIT maneuver, a move to block someone else's car from moving.
Then, two officers confronted Briggs with their guns drawn. Omaha Police Lt. Martin Stiles and Council Bluffs Police Lt. Chad Geer came face to face with Briggs.
"At this point, he (Geer) saw Briggs pulling up and pointing a sawed-off 12-gage shotgun directly at his face," Wilber said.
Stiles also had his shotgun pointed at Briggs. Both officers immediately opened fire on him.
Briggs had two gunshot wounds to his right hand, one in his left leg, and one fatal shot to the head, according to Wilber.
"Officers stopped firing when Briggs dropped his shotgun and his hands dropped to his side and he stopped moving," he said.
He said Briggs had many other weapons in his vehicle. Police say hours later, he carjacked a person in a blue Toyota Camry near Mandan Park in south Omaha.
The chase started when officers spotted the stolen car. Police said Briggs had several people on a hit list and went to the homes of two other people. Before he killed Steven Donsbach in Omaha, Donsbach was on that hit list, but police have not said anything about the connection between the two men.
Omaha Police Lt. Martin Stiles recently returned to full duty. Council Bluffs Lt. Geer won't return to work until the Iowa attorney general reviews the case, which is part of state law.
SEE WILBER'S PRESS CONFERENCE AND PURSUIT FOOTAGE:
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