Traffic Stop Leads to Standoff

Yesterday at approximately 2:50 p.m., Dubuque Police stopped a vehicle at 25th & Washington Street for an equipment violation. A passenger, later identified as Robert (Bobby) L. Dettbarn (DOB: 03/24/92) of Dyersville, exited the vehicle armed with a handgun. He refused to drop the gun & fled the area on foot with officers following. In the 2500 block of White Street, he stopped in a residential driveway & a standoff ensued. DPD Negotiators responded to the scene & after nearly 2 hours, Dettbarn was taken into custody without incident. He was transported to Mercy Hospital for evaluation & then to the Dubuque County Jail where he’s being held on arrest warrants for Burglary 1st Degree, Obstruction of Emergency Communication, & an out-of-county (Delaware) warrant for Probation Violation. Additional charges are pending for today’s incident. 

The driver of the vehicle, Nicole L. White (DOB: 01/31/88) of Lancaster, WI, was arrested & charged with Operating While Intoxicated. A 2nd passenger, Michael S. Sheckles (DOB: 03/12/89) of Dubuque, was charged with Interference With Official Acts after he refused to follow officer’s commands at the scene of the traffic stop. Both White & Sheckles are being held in the Dubuque County Jail pending their initial court appearance. During the standoff, several roads were closed, Fulton Elementary School was placed on lockdown, & homes in the immediate area were evacuated.

As with any criminal case, the charges filed are allegations and any suspects are presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law. If you have any information on this incident or others, please call the Dubuque Police Department at 563-589-4415 or Crime Stoppers at 800-747-0117 or 563-588-0714 (if the information leads to an arrest, the caller is eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000). You can also submit tips anonymously online at www.cityofdubuque.org/police or through the MyDBQ smartphone app available at www.cityofdubuque.org/MyDBQ.