Man killed in Fort Madison officer-involved shooting died from ‘multiple gunshots’

An autopsy confirms that a man who was killed in an officer-involved shooting died of injuries from multiple gunshots.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety said early in the morning on Sunday, August 3, 2014, Fort Madison Police Officer Karl Judd responded to a report of someone with a knife in the 1400 block of Avenue D and Avenue E.

Previous reports indicate that 27-year-old Ryan Swearingen had been reportedly slashing car tires in the area.

Police said upon police responding, Swearingen fled the scene and later “confronted” Officer Judd with a knife as he exited a closet in a home in the 1500 block of Ave. E.

“Officer Judd shot Swearingen who died as a result of the injuries sustained during the incident,” said a spokesperson from the department of public safety.

Dr. Michele Catellier performed an autopsy on Swearingen’s body and determined that the cause of death was multiple gunshots, according to police.

As part of the Madison Police Department’s policy relating to officer-involved shootings, Officer Judd has been placed on paid administrative leave.