November 17 – Upon learning his partner had been banned from Hy-Vee, a 50-year-old Newton man reportedly became hostile toward the manager and threatened to shoot everyone in the store and the manager’s family, leading to led to a confrontation with police officers and subsequently placed under arrest.
According to complaints filed with the Jasper County Court Clerk, Severn P. Rodenberg has been charged with terroristic threats, two counts of first-degree intimidation and inference from official acts. On November 10 at 7:44 p.m., officers were first dispatched to Hy-Vee for telephone threats.
Witnesses told police that a woman had been banned from shopping. As she left the store, a man called and asked why she was banned. The store manager stated that he was not allowed to discuss that information with him, but the man demanded to speak to an employee representative.
When Hy-Vee refused, the man told the manager, “You don’t want me to come to the store tonight.” Then he said, “I will come over there and shoot everyone there and then shoot and kill your family too.” Officers spoke with Rodenberg at his home, where he said he spoke to someone in his store.
Rodenberg said the person he was actually talking to was on his property without his permission, and he told them to leave or he would “shoot him and his family.” But Rodenberg also admitted he was on the phone with Hy-Vee when he said this, suggesting his comments were not directed at the manager.
Newton Police Department officers told Rodenberg he was under arrest and to step away from a TV stand. Rodenberg said no and then ran into the kitchen as police ordered him to stop.
Newton News has no information on why the woman was barred from the supermarket.
