On February 19th of 2026, two Des Moines police officers were involved in a fatal shooting on the city's west side. Both the office of the Attorney General and the Polk County Attorney's office have issued rulings that the officers use of deadly force during this incident was legally justified. This video has been prepared to help you understand what happened that afternoon. It contains still photos and audio and video from the incident as it occurred. It has been edited for time and edited of the most graphic content. The content may be disturbing for some, so viewer discretion is advised. At 3:47 p.m. on February 19th, the Des Moines Police Department Communication Center received a 911 call reporting that a public safety officer had been attacked at the Crisis Intervention Center located at 1914 Carpenter Avenue. 911. We need help at the uh the COC. 1914 Carpenter? 1914. >> Patient just hit somebody. Patient's attacking people. A patient's attacking people? >> shut that door. Shut that door. Get Marcel to shut that door. Hello. What's going on? Uh patient just attacked somebody. Okay. With a weapon or what's going on? With his hands, I think. I don't know for sure. Okay, he's like beating people up? Yes. Oh god. Does anybody need medical attention? Uh possibly. He's bleeding. Where's he bleeding from? What's that? Okay, can you get me a description? Uh of the person? I Yes. If if you don't have a Okay. >> He's a big dude. Okay. Okay. >> All right, we're getting multiple calls this year. Call safe, okay? Thank you. As multiple officers responded, additional 911 calls were received providing more details, including that the public safety officer had been stabbed and also providing a description of the person who attacked him. Des Moines 911, do you need police? >> the We need the police. Okay, listen. We've We're taking lots of calls. What's going on there? We need the police. Somebody has stabbed the uh security officer. We need the police as soon as possible. Okay, so this is at 1914 Carpenter Road, right? >> yes. Okay, listen. We're on our way, okay? I need you to stay on the phone with me though and provide me with some information, please. Central cars, special attention Westside cars to your port of a stabbing at 1914 Carpenter at the COC. 1914 Carpenter at the COC. We have a security officer that was stabbed at this time. All Westside cars I'll show you on it. Central cars are needing help out as well. All cars are referencing a stabbing 1914 Carpenter. Chad is unable to get to him right now and the security officer that was stabbed is going to be trapped in a room with him. He's doing pretty good. We do have medics on route and staging. That person was later learned to be 24-year-old Hunter Munoz. Officer Escobar is the first officer to arrive. He encounters Munoz outside of the Crisis Observation Center. Officer Escobar immediately gets out of his patrol car, draws his handgun, and orders Munoz to put his hands up. Munoz continues to walk slowly towards Officer Escobar. Officer Escobar repeats his command and Munoz pauses briefly. Officer Escobar then orders Munoz to get on his knees. Munoz responds by telling Officer Escobar, "You're going to have to shoot me." And again begins walking towards Officer Escobar. Officer Escobar begins walking backwards maintaining a safe distance. Officer Escobar attempts to establish a dialogue with Munoz in an effort to de-escalate the situation. Officer Escobar asks Munoz where the knife is and Munoz responds that it is in his back pocket. As Officer Escobar repeats the commands for Munoz to get on his knees, Munoz does not respond and eventually moves into the traffic lanes at the intersection of Carpenter Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. Officer Chase and Officer Ganoe arrive and approach the location of Officer Escobar and Munoz. Officer Chase approaches with his taser drawn and announces this. Munoz looks towards Officer Chase and says, "You're going to have to shoot me." Officer Chase turns on the taser which activates a bright light and an audible signal. Munoz does not comply with additional commands to get on his knees and he begins to walk backwards deeper into the intersection as he moves his right hand to his back pocket area. Officer Chase deploys his taser. At the same time, Muñoz pulls out a stiletto style knife. As he holds the knife in his hand, he moves towards Officer Escobar. Muñoz continues to move towards the officers as they yell no and begin to step back away from Muñoz. Muñoz begins to run at the officers as he raises the knife. Officers Escobar and Gano both fire their handguns and Muñoz falls to the ground. Muñoz is secured in handcuffs, medics are requested, and the officers begin life-saving efforts, including the application of wound seals and CPR. Care is turned over to the Des Moines Fire Department medics and they transport Muñoz to the hospital where he later dies. During the investigation that follows, it is learned that Muñoz had been brought by his family to the Crisis Observation Center for an evaluation. Muñoz waited approximately 30 minutes before being escorted to a secure patient care area. During the security screening process, Muñoz pulls a knife from his jacket pocket and begins to attack the public safety officer, stabbing him multiple times. The public safety officer attempts to defend himself, and as the attack continues, he falls into a triage room. Muñoz continues to stab at the officer who deploys a taser with no apparent effect to Muñoz. As other staff members yell at Muñoz, he becomes distracted and the officer is able to deploy his pepper spray. Muñoz turns away from the spray and leaves the room. Muñoz lingers in the hallway for a short time before exiting the building where he encounters officers. The public safety officer sustained critical injuries and was hospitalized for several days. His recovery continues. Body worn camera video will begin now. Viewer discretion is advised. There's animal traffic. I got the suspect. PUT YOUR HANDS UP. PUT YOUR HANDS UP. PUT YOUR HANDS UP. PUT YOUR HANDS UP. IT'S ALL RIGHT. PUT YOUR GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES. GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES. GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES. Get Get Get down ON YOUR KNEES. GET down on your knees, dude. Get down on your knees. Get down on your knees. Get down I don't want to shoot you. Get down on your knees. No, I don't. No, get down on your knees. GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES. IT'S ALL RIGHT, MAN. It's okay. My name's Christian, YOU'RE GOOD. YOU'RE NOT IN ANY TROUBLE, ALL RIGHT? Just get down on your knees. Get down on your knees, dude. Get down on your knees. Where is the knife? Where is it? It's in YOUR BACK POCKET? OKAY, GET DOWN ON your knees. Get down on your knees, dude. It's okay. Get down on your knees. Um, 10-2 is not really compliant, saying that we're going to have to shoot him. Get down on your knees. Or you're going to shoot me? No. Get down on your knees. Get down on your knees, dude. Get down on your knees. Get down on your knees. Stop. Dude, GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES. I'm not going TO SHOOT YOU. GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES. YOU'RE GOING TO GET TASED. GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES. NO. NO. NO. NO. STOP. STOP. >> [screaming] >> STOP. PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. WE'RE GOING TO NEED a check on him. 310 welfare. Let them know we're pulling up. Um, 10-2 is not really compliant, saying that we're going to have to shoot him. On the way. We're going to need a check on him. We're pulling up. We're going to continue to hold. I got non-lethal. HEY, PUT YOUR HANDS UP. PUT your hands up. >> [screaming] >> No, PUT YOUR HANDS UP. STOP. STOP. HOLD. I GOT HIM. I GOT HIM. ROOM, CAN YOU CHECK ON HIM? 3-1, WELFARE. I'm 10-20, not breathing. I got a fire extinguisher out. Copy. I got non-lethal. Hey, put your hands up. Put your hands up. No, put your hands up. Stop. Stop.