Who was John Piazza, Waterloo Man Killed in Officer Involved Shooting?

John Piazza, 41, an Iowa man was shot and killed in an officer-involved shooting at Victory Motors in Waterloo.

Piazza reportedly pointed his weapon in an employee’s face and fired a round at the property the business is located on which is just in front of his residence.

He then left for his residence vowing to ‘return with a rifle’.

911 was called after this and when authorities arrived, they found Piazza brandishing a rifle at his residence.

He aimed his gun at officers when he realized he had been surrounded and an officer opened fire at him and struck him.

What happened to John Piazza Waterloo?

john piazza, waterloo man dead in officer involved shooting identified

“On March 25, 2024, the Waterloo Police Department requested the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred at 1204 Hartman Avenue in Waterloo,” the Iowa Department of Public Safety said in a statement.

“At 2:46 p.m., employees at Victory Motors, located at 2701 Falls Avenue, called 911 to report that a neighbor, later identified as John Piazza, age 41, of 1204 Hartman Avenue in Waterloo, put a gun to an employee’s face and fired a round at the property.

“Employees stated Piazza told them he would return with a rifle. Employees reported he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, had a long beard, and was bald.

“Waterloo PD responded to 1204 Hartman Avenue, just behind Victory Motors, and observed a male fitting the description near the windows of the residence with a long gun.

“A Waterloo police officer observed Piazza point a long gun out of a window towards officers. The officer fired at Piazza, striking him. Officers entered the residence and found Piazza deceased.

“This incident remains under investigation. Upon completion, the Iowa DCI will forward the results of the investigation to the Blackhawk County Attorney’s Office for review,” the statement concluded.

Neighbors said they were told to stay in their homes and gave the media an inkling of how they felt whilst the situation was still active.

“I came outside, just to see what was going on, and a cop said ‘Get in your house, this guy is shooting at us.’ So I ran in the house and ducked,” said a woman who lives down the street.

“I look over and a I see a guy (officer) with an AR-15 run by, and there’s another one over there,” another neighbor said.

Officers from Waterloo, the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol – most carrying military-style rifles – were on the scene with a section of Falls Avenue shut down so an ambulance could wait nearby.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety, which released a statement on the incident, is the largest law enforcement agency in the state.

It includes six divisions and several bureaus, all working together with local, state and federal government agencies and the private sector, to keep Iowa a safe place by following our core values: leadership, integrity, professionalism, courtesy, service and protection. Divisions within the Iowa DPS: Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa State Fire Marshal Division, Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, and Administrative Services Division.

The Department of Public Safety is led by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Governor.

Related – Jonathan Diller dead in Far Rockaway shooting

John Piazza perished in the Waterloo, IA shooting but the situation was reversed in New York where an NYPD officer sadly lost his life.

Jonathan Diller, 31 of Massapequa, New York was identified as the NYPD officer shot and killed in Far Rockaway Monday.

Multiple reports Monday said an on-duty NYPD officer had been shot whilst conducting a vehicle stop in Queens.

Two officers were conducting a traffic stop at 1919 Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway around 5:48 p.m. as part of the NYPD Critical Response Team, which has been focusing on cars with fake plates, illegal tints or other quality-of-life issues.

The officers stopped a vehicle which had two men inside because it was parked at a bus stop illegally.

However, when they asked the individuals in the car to step out of the vehicle, one suspect, in the passenger’s seat, refused.

He pulled out a gun instead and fired, striking one of the officers below his bulletproof vest.

The officer’s partner then fired at the suspect, striking him in the back.

Jonathan Diller was a resident of Massapequa Park in New York.

He had recently welcomed a child with his wife Stephanie Diller, just over a year ago.

Waterloo IA

Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States.

As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-most populous city in the state.

Waterloo comprises a twin conurbation with neighbor municipality Cedar Falls. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two cities.

Waterloo was originally known as Prairie Rapids Crossing.

The town was established near two Meskwaki American tribal seasonal camps alongside the Cedar River.

It was first settled in 1845 when George and Mary Melrose Hanna and their children arrived on the east bank of the Red Cedar River (now just called the Cedar River).

They were followed by the Virden and Mullan families in 1846. Evidence of these earliest families can still be found in the street names Hanna Boulevard, Mullan Avenue and Virden Creek.

On December 8, 1845, the Iowa State Register and Waterloo Herald was the first newspaper published in Waterloo.

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