A police-involved shooting in Sioux City’s Greenville community has been ruled justified

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – A deadly police shooting in Sioux City has been found legally justified following an investigation by state authorities.

On Sunday, October 20, police said 43-year-old Sioux City resident Jamie Orozco was shot and killed while hiding from authorities in a local home.

The incident began at 7:22 p.m., when two concerned citizens reported that an individual, later identified as Orozco, was brandishing a gun in public. The Iowa Attorney General’s Office says Orozco “jolted the bolt of the gun” and told a nearby couple, “Don’t worry, it’s not for you,” before leaving the area on foot.

When police later found Orozco, he reportedly refused officers’ commands to stop. Authorities say at one point Orozco pulled out a gun, pointed it at officers and fled.

As officers chased Orozco, the attorney general’s office says he fired a shot at police but missed. The officer reportedly fired a single shot, but did not hit Orozco.

Eventually, the police lost track of Orozco. While law enforcement searched for Orozco, residents of Sioux City’s Greenville neighborhood were told to shelter in place.

Then, at approximately 10:08 p.m. that night, a SWAT team entered a Sioux City home where authorities believed Orozco was hiding.

Everyone in the home was taken outside while law enforcement searched the house. Authorities say they found Orozco hiding in the attic, which was locked and closed on the other side.

“One officer partially entered the room with a shield and his gun drawn,” the Iowa Attorney General’s Office said in a news release. “Orozco was sitting on his hands and knees just three to four feet away from the officer. They were separated by a cloth package which, as the officer suspected, contained a weapon.

The officer reportedly told Orozco that if he moved, he would shoot. According to authorities, Orozco replied, “I’m not going back to prison.”

Orozco refused commands to stop and reached for his bundle, and in response, the officer shot Orozco once in the head.

“Officers discovered that the weapon was indeed hidden in a cloth bundle in the attic,” the attorney general’s office said.

Authorities said they took life-saving measures for Orozco, who was transported to a local hospital, where he died seven days later on Sunday, October 27.