Officers kill Storm Lake man after standoff at his home

Officers early Monday shot and killed a Storm Lake man they say fled a traffic stop and barricaded himself in his home for some 19 hours — taking shots at authorities as they surrounded his house.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, which is investigating the officer-involved shooting, identified the man as Daniel Joseph James Palenik, 45, of Storm Lake. A DCI news release said he was killed by officers about 3 a.m. Monday as they returned his fire, but doesn’t say how many officers fired or how many times they struck him.

The episode began about 8 a.m. Sunday as a Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped the driver of a pickup truck for speeding near Storm Lake. But the driver threatened police and sped off — going 98 mph in a 45 mph zone, court records show.

The driver — Palenik — soon was located at his Storm Lake house, and the neighborhood was evacuated about 10 a.m. Sunday, the news release said. Several hours later, Palenik began firing rounds at officers, the DCI said.

Crews from a variety of departments came to the scene to help with tactical support and negotiations, including the Storm Lake Police Department, Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Council Bluffs Fire Department, Storm Lake Fire Department, Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux City Police Department, Sac County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

“Throughout the afternoon and evening, Palenik fired dozens of rounds at officers, striking both occupied vehicles and law enforcement equipment,” the DCI stated in its news release.

At 3 a.m. Monday, “Palenik again fired at law enforcement. Officers returned fire, striking Palenik. Palenik died at the scene,” the DCI said. The news release didn’t say whether officers had returned fire earlier in the standoff.

The division said the officers involved were placed on leave, which is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings. It did not say how many officers were involved or which agencies they represented.

The DCI said no further information on the incident would be released while it’s investigated.