Colfax man’s stand-your-ground defense doesn’t stick with jury

A Colfax man who claimed he was standing his ground when he repeatedly fired a 45mm pistol at another man who entered his driveway last year was found guilty of intimidation with a dangerous weapon and going armed with intent during a nearly four-day jury trial last month in Jasper County.

According to court documents obtained by Newton News, the jury found Norman Hopkins displayed a dangerous weapon in a threatening manner during an altercation with Ryan Doty, of Altoona, back on June 5, 2024. Hopkins was also charged with two counts of assault but was found not guilty of those offenses.

Newton News previously reported that at about 4:50 p.m. June 5, 2024, the sheriff’s office received a call about gunshots fired at an individual during a domestic altercation. Hopkins fired several rounds from his Glock pistol at Doty, who arrived to the residence in a blue Ford truck.

Hopkins claimed he was acting in self-defense. In Iowa, individuals are justified in using reasonable force when a a person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to defend oneself or another from any actual or imminent use of unlawful force. However, the state argued he was not acting in self-defense.

Doty had made threats to the mother of his children, who happened to be staying with her mother and step-father, Hopkins, at the time. Doty eventually entered the property driving his truck, but he was not justified in doing so since there was a no-contact order placed against him.

Local authorities charged Doty with two counts of violation of a no-contact order at the time of the incident, which are simple misdemeanors. He was also charged with an arrest warrant for first-degree harassment, an aggravated misdemeanor. The state claimed Hopkins knew or should have known Doty would be arriving.

Jasper County Attorney Scott Nicholson argued that when Doty appeared on the property, Hopkins was standing at the top of the long driveway. The state said Hopkins started firing his weapon into Doty’s truck. Two shots pierced the windshield on the driver’s side. Doty slammed on the brakes and ducked down.

Doty shifted the truck in reverse and used his backup camera to try and navigate his way down the driveway. He missed a curve in the driveway and high centered his truck in a bed of rocks near a drainage ditch. The state argued Hopkins continued to walk down the driveway, firing the gun at Doty and his truck.

Unable to move his truck, Doty flees the scene on foot along a gravel road to get away from Hopkins. The state argued Hopkins continued to walk all the way to the truck and fire rounds toward Doty. Hopkins claimed in the trial he was standing his ground and defending himself and his family, justifying his actions.

However, the state argued Doty never even got out of the truck and questioned how Hopkins could assess the threat if he never exited the vehicle.

Hopkins will be serving a mandatory prison sentence, which is different from a mandatory minimum sentence. With a mandatory prison sentence, it means Hopkins will likely get five years in prison but the Iowa Department of Corrections ultimately determines how long he serves that sentence.