Linn County Attorney Says Shooting in Palo Home Was Justified

Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden has finished his review into the shooting death of a Cedar Rapids man by Palo homeowner Jordan Schulte inside Schulte's home this summer.

According to an investigation by the Linn County Sheriff's Office, 40-year-old Kevin Kawanzel Harris of Cedar Rapids crashed his vehicle in Palo early on the morning of August 30. They say he then approached three homes in Palo. He allegedly damaged the front door at one, broke a living room window in another, and broke a basement window in a third.

Authorities say Harris then broke the window of a children's bedroom of the Schulte residence on Ridgeway Drive before throwing a flower pot through the front door of the house and entering the home. After encountering Harris in the entryway of his home, Jordan Schulte would end up firing one shot from a handgun he owned. The bullet struck Harris. According to an autopsy by the Iowa State Medical Examiner, the shooting caused Harris' death. Harris' toxicology report showed he had amphetamine, cannabinoids, fentanyl, and methamphetamine in his system. According to the pathologist, a methamphetamine level between 200 and 600 ng/mL can result in violent and irrational behavior. Harris' toxicology report showed the level of methamphetamine in his system registered at 560 ng/mL.

In a release Wednesday morning, November 4, Vander Sanden said,

When Kevin Harris broke into the Schulte home, he clearly posed an unpredictable risk of harm to Jordan Schulte and the safety of his wife and children...

Under Iowa law, Jordan Schulte was justified in using deadly force upon Kevin Kawanzel Harris given the facts and circumstances as determined by the investigation conducted by the Linn County Sheriff's Office.

You can read the County Attorney's full legal memo here: Linn County Attorney Legal Memo Regarding Shooting Death of Kevin Harris 11-4-20