Verbal altercation almost turns deadly in rural Colfax

Two men have been arrested following an incident on June 5 in rural Colfax that escalated to the point where one of the individuals allegedly fired a handgun at the other. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release today that both men are facing charges and that the incident is under investigation.

At 4:50 p.m. on June 5, the sheriff’s office received a call about gunshots fired at an individual during a domestic altercation. The reporting party indicated they had fired shots at another individual who fled the scene on foot.

It was later determined by law enforcement that Ryan Doty, 42, of Altoona, came to the address of Norm Hopkins, 69, of rural Colfax. The two men allegedly had a verbal altercation. The sheriff’s office said Hopkins then fired his handgun into the vehicle Doty was operating on Hopkins’s property.

Doty backed down the driveway and fled on foot. He was later located at another nearby residence. Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, Colfax Police Department and the Iowa State Patrol all responded to the area and assisted in the investigation. Doty was located and then transported to a medical facility with minor injuries.

Upon his release, Doty was taken into custody and transported to the Jasper County Jail and charged with two counts of violation of a no-contact order, which are simple misdemeanors. He was also charged with an arrest warrant for first-degree harassment, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Hopkins was charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon, a Class C felony.