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Attorney General: Fatal Shooting of Harlan Man by Shelby County Deputy Was Legally Justified
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The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has concluded that the fatal shooting of David Robert Plagmann of Harlan on March 6, 2025, by a Shelby County deputy was legally justified. This decision followed a thorough investigation conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
According to the investigation, at approximately 4:25 a.m. on March 6, a 911 caller requested a welfare check at 1809 College Place in Harlan. The caller, a friend of Plagmann’s, was concerned after seeing a troubling Snapchat message from Plagmann showing an arm with blood around it. When he arrived at the home, the caller found Plagmann intoxicated. The garage floor was wet, and there appeared to be blood in the snow on the driveway. Plagmann refused to let the caller into the house, and his girlfriend was not present.
When a Shelby County deputy arrived on scene, he observed Plagmann entering the garage from inside the house. The garage light was on, and the deputy could clearly see Plagmann holding a rifle. Despite repeated commands to drop the weapon, Plagmann refused. The deputy took cover behind a vehicle parked on the street. Two additional deputies soon arrived and took positions to provide discreet cover.
The lead deputy began talking to Plagmann in an attempt to resolve the situation peacefully. During the exchange, Plagmann admitted to killing his girlfriend and expressed suicidal intentions. After about 30 minutes of negotiation, Plagmann began raising the rifle toward the first deputy. Recognizing the imminent threat, a second deputy fired on Plagmann from across the street.
Plagmann was struck and fell to the ground. Deputies quickly secured the scene and administered medical aid. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died.
Following the shooting, deputies discovered the body of Plagmann’s girlfriend, Alexis Martin, in the cargo area of an SUV parked in the driveway. She had been shot five times with a 9mm handgun in the back and legs. Her body had been stripped, washed, and placed in the vehicle.
Further investigation uncovered 13 rifle rounds in Plagmann’s pockets, as well as spent 9mm shell casings in the garage and a backyard burn pit. Investigators also recovered bloody women’s clothing, a cell phone with a bullet hole, and a burned video recording system. A 9mm handgun and ammunition were later found in Plagmann’s pickup truck in rural Shelby County.
Authorities determined that Plagmann was armed, intoxicated, and ignored numerous commands to disarm. After 30 minutes of confrontation, he pointed his rifle at a deputy and pumped the lever action to prepare to fire. Officials concluded that Plagmann posed a clear and immediate threat to the deputy and to public safety.
The Attorney General’s report was issued under independent authority granted by Iowa Code section 13.12, which allows the office to investigate or prosecute incidents involving law enforcement actions that result in death.
