K9 Disarms Shotgun from Northeast Iowa Man Who Fired Gun Near Deputy

A northeast Iowa man, arrested two days earlier for OWI, is facing felony charges after a K9 officer had to be deployed to disarm him of a shotgun.

The Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) says deputies went to a residence in the 2400 block of Ranch Road, about six miles east of Decorah, to conduct a welfare check on 29-year-old Jordan Schaller at about 2 pm Monday (07.14) afternoon . At the home, deputies spoke with Schaller’s father, who said his son was not at the residence. 

However, WCSO says Jordan Schaller appeared a few moments later, armed with a 20-gauge shotgun and walking across the lawn towards the deputy. After the deputy issued several commands for Schaller to drop the gun, Schaller refused to comply and discharged the gun several times into the ground. 

Additional deputies arrived to assist, with WCSO K9 Drago released on Schaller, biting the loaded shotgun out of Schaller’s hands, disarming him. Drago then safely brought the weapon back to deputies and the situation was resolved without further incident. There were no injuries reported.

Schaller was arrested for assault on a peace officer with use/display of a firearm, a Class C felony; intimidation with a dangerous weapon and assault while participating in a felony, both Class D felonies; and second-degree harassment, a serious misdemeanor. 

Schaller is being held in the Winneshiek County Jail on $21,500 cash-only bond. He is due for a preliminary July 28th in Winneshiek County District Court.

Decorah Police, Winneshiek County Emergency Management and the Winneshiek County Attorney’s Office also assisted with the investigation, which WCSO says could result in additional charges.

Court records also show that Decorah Police arrested Schaller last Saturday (07.12) for OWI with a blood alcohol content (BAC) that allegedly measured .201%, two-and-a-half times the legal limit of .08% BAC.