Grand jury: No charges for Tama County deputy who fatally shot man during standoff

TAMA — A Tama County grand jury Monday did not indict a Tama County sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot a Chelsea man after the man fired his handgun during an October standoff, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

The Tama County Sheriff’s Office received calls about 7:27 p.m. Oct. 28 reporting gunshots being fired near 1001 Station St. in Chelsea, a new release said. When officers arrived, they found Dewey Dale Wilfong III, 28, displaying a handgun toward others in a “threatening manner.”

Several law enforcement agencies from the surrounding area responded to the scene, and a standoff escalated to the point where Wilfong discharged his handgun. A Tama County sheriff’s deputy, who is not identified in the news release, fired one round, striking Wilfong in the upper torso.

Wilfong was taken to UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, where he was pronounced dead.

The deputy who shot Wilfong was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Special Agent-in-Charge Rick Rahn of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was not immediately available for comment.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation conducted an independent investigation into the shooting and a case was presented to a grand jury for possible charges.

After the jury reviewed all the evidence and testimony by the witnesses, the jurors found the case would not “warrant a conviction by the trial jury,” and declined to bring an indictment against the deputy, according to document submitted by the grand jury.

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