Iowa man dies in custody after high-speed chase in Black Hawk County; DCI is assisting with investigations

The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation is assisting in the death investigation of a man who died in the custody of Black Hawk County sheriff’s deputies.

According to the DCI, the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office heard radio traffic about a pursuit by Waterloo Police shortly before 7 p.m. on Sunday. The pursuit involved a white 2011 Ford Crown Victoria traveling at a high rate of speed, over 90 miles per hour, northbound in the southbound lanes along Highway 63, also known as Logan Avenue.

At some point, according to the DCI, the Ford crashed into a civilian vehicle and continued to flee from the officers. Pursuing Waterloo officers called off the pursuit due to imminent danger within the city limits.

A short time later, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office deputies saw the same vehicle driving on Cedar Wapsi Road north of the Waterloo city limits and attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle again refused to stop and led officers on a 9-mile chase at speeds in excess of 90 mph. A Bremer County officer deployed stop sticks near the intersection of Highway 63 and Highway 3, successfully disabling the vehicle.

The driver, 42-year-old Willie Earl Washington of Waterloo, was removed from the vehicle by officers and handcuffed. According to the DCI, Washington became unresponsive as he lay handcuffed on the ground. Although officials performed CPR and sent an ambulance, Washington died. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday at the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny.

According to the DCI, the entire pursuit and arrest was recorded using multiple vehicle and officer body-worn cameras.

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