Rock Rapids, Iowa — The trial is underway in the case of a man who is charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon after an incident over a year ago.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office reports that on June 8th of LAST year, 2016, about 9:30 PM, they received a 911 call in reference to a man who was possibly suicidal.
They say that 55-year-old Jerome Sechser was believed to be armed in an outbuilding in the 1900 mile of Jay Avenue, which is about two miles north and two west of George.
They say Sechser discharged a weapon and demanded law enforcement leave the property.
At that point, Sheriff Stewart Vander Stoep says the SRT, or Special Response Team was called in. But Vander Stoep says soon after that, and a few minutes after 10 PM, Sechser put down the weapon and surrendered to deputies on the scene. The Sheriff says Sechser was then taken into custody and was transported to Sanford Rock Rapids Hospital for evaluation.
Sechser was later taken to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and was charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon and reckless use of a firearm.
Jury selection got underway on Tuesday morning, June 27th, 2017 at about 10:00 a.m. By noon, a jury of twelve and two alternates had been selected from the jury pool after questions of prospective jurors were asked by the judge and attorneys for the state and defense. Preliminary instructions were given to the jury by Judge Patrick Tott. Tott says the trial is expected to last three days.
