(Des Moines) – A Stuart man convicted of shooting at a sheriff’s deputy in Guthrie County faces a long-term prison sentence.
Fifty-three year-old Randall Lee Comly was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Des Moines Thursday to 40 years in federal prison following his guilty pleas to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney Marc Krickbaum says evidence was presented at sentencing that Comly, a multi-time convicted drug dealer, attempted to murder four law enforcement officers.
Comly was convicted in connection with an incident in October, 2019, in which officers with Stuart Police and the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office went to Comly’s residence in Stuart to arrest him on valid arrest warrants for second-degree arson and a probation violation. Comly ambushed the officers, jumped out of a closet, and emptied his gun by firing six rounds at a sheriff’s deputy who stood only a few feet away. During the resulting exchange of gunfire, two sheriff’s deputies were shot. After the shooting, Comly barricaded himself inside the apartment and a hostage negotiation team was called. Comly eventually gave himself up and was arrested just before midnight. A search of Comly’s residence revealed methamphetamine and items used in drug trafficking.
Comly has a lengthy criminal history, including three prior felony drug trafficking convictions. He was serving a state term of probation when he attempted to murder the four officers. Based on Comly’s criminal history, the court found him to be an armed career criminal.
The investigation was spearheaded by the ATF. Investigative support was provided by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Adair County Sheriff’s Office, Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Stuart Police Department. This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, with assistance from the Adair County Attorney’s Office.
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