Sheldon, Iowa — The investigation is continuing into the death, early Saturday morning, of a Sheldon man who was found unresponsive on a city street.
Authorities say a call came in shortly after 2:30 Saturday morning of a man in the middle of the steet on South 3rd Avenue in Sheldon. Responding police officers arrived on the scene to find an unresposnive male, and began to attempt resusciation of the individual. Officers’ effort were unsuccessful, and 32-year old Joshua Andrew Rook of Sheldon was pronounced dead at the Sanford Medical Center, after being rushed to the hospital by the Sheldon Community Ambulance Team.
Sheldon Police Chief Lyle Bolkema says the Iowa D.C.I. was called in to assist in the death investigation.
Bolkema says an autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause and manner of Rook’s death.
O’Brien County Attorney Micah Schreurs says he has heard rumors being circulated that Rook’s death involved a shooting. Schreurs says that at last report, the investigation has uncovered “absolutely no evidence to suggest that there was a shooting or altercation involving a firearm” at any location in Sheldon on April 6th or 7th.
Bolkema says the investigation is ongoing, and says law enforcement has no reason to believe that the public is in danger.
Authorities say more information will be released, by the County Attorney’s Office, when it becomes available.
***************************************************************************
Update posted at 8:37am, 4/9/18
Sheldon, Iowa — On Sunday, April 8th, O’Brien County Attorney Micah Schreurs released a statement saying, “I have been informed that there are rumors circulating that the death case concerning Joshua Rook involved a shooting. Law enforcement’s investigation has uncovered absolutely no evidence to suggest that there was a shooting or altercation involving a firearm at any time at any location in Sheldon on April 6 or 7, 2018.”
————————————————
Original story posted Saturday, April 7th:
Sheldon, Iowa — The Sheldon Police Department and Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation are investigating a death in Sheldon.
Sheldon Police Chief Lyle Bolkema reports that about 2:35 a.m. on Saturday, April 7th, the Sheldon Police Department was dispatched to the 1100 block of South Third Avenue for the report of a man in the middle of the street. He says when they got there, they found an unresponsive male and began life-saving measures, but those attempts were unsuccessful. The man was later identified as 32-year-old Joshua Andrew Rook of Sheldon. The Sheldon Community Ambulance Team took him to Sanford Sheldon Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Bolkema says that the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was contacted and responded to assist the Sheldon Police Department in the investigation of Rook’s death. An autopsy will be performed by the State Medical Examiner’s office on a future date. Bolkema says the investigation into this incident continues and law enforcement has no reason to believe that the public is in any danger. He says they’ll release more information as it becomes available.
The Sheldon Police Department reports that the O’Brien County Sheriff’s Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Sheldon Community Ambulance Team, the Sheldon Fire Department, and the O’Brien County Attorney’s office assisted with the response to the incident.
