A Grand Jury has rendered a decision in two North Platte suicides that occurred while the subjects were in the custody of law enforcement.

On July 15, 2014, North Platte Police responded to a home in the Patriot Mobile Home Park, 2300 East Philip Avenue, on the report of a physical disturbance.

As officers were responding, witnesses told dispatchers that a male subject had fled the scene on foot.

Upon arrival, officers found a female bleeding heavily from her head.  They were told the female had been assaulted by her husband, 26-year-old Christopher Tidball.

The victim alleged that Tidball had kicked her in the head with boots on, and beaten her with a lamp.  She was transported to Great Plains Health by the North Platte Fire Department.

Meanwhile, officers began to search for Tidball.

Later in the evening, officers were informed by neighbors that Tidball had returned to the residence.

According to authorities, while officers were in front of the house, Tidball shot himself in another room.  He was transported to Great Plains Health before being transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney with life threatening injuries.

Because Tidball would have been arrested for felony assault, he was considered to be in the custody of law enforcement.

He died in Kearney on July 16.

The Grand Jury met in Lincoln County on November 5 to review the case. After being presented the facts and circumstances,  and speaking with investigators, a verdict of No True Bill, No True Fault was returned, meaning they found no fault or criminal wrongdoing by law enforcement.

The Grand Jury also reviewed the case of Christopher Taylor.

Taylor was arrested on July 30, and charged with sexual assault of a child.

It was alleged that Taylor had sexually penetrated a female juvenile.

On July 31, North Platte Police were called to the Lincoln County Detention Center on the report of an attempted suicide.

Taylor was found hanging in his cell, but was still alive.  He was transported to Great Plains Health, where he died on August 5.

Again, after reviewing the case, the Grand Jury returned a verdict of No True Bill, No True Fault.

 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A jury has awarded $900,000 to an ex-Union Pacific train conductor who sued the railroad after suffering injuries in a 2010 derailment in Columbus.

A Douglas County District Court jury deliberated for more than four hours on Oct. 30 before awarding the money to 68-year-old Loren Sweley of North Platte.

Sweley’s lawsuit says the train was traveling around 50 miles per hour on a foggy night in January 2010 when it hit a bulldozer performing work on the unlighted track. His attorney says severe spinal injuries left him unable to work. About 22 cars were derailed in the accident.

Omaha-based Union Pacific declined to comment on the jury’s ruling.

A 51-year-old North Platte man is facing charges after he allegedly assaulted his wife and shot up his vehicle with a firearm.

At around 5:00 p.m., on November 3, deputies with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to a verbal disturbance and accident on North Lake Road, near the east entrance to The Wall at Lake Maloney.

Deputies arrived and found a van in the ditch that was riddled with bullet holes.

After discovering that the vehicle was unoccupied, deputies responded to the residence of the registered owner, David Roe, which was nearby.

Upon arrival, deputies were confronted by Roe, who they say appeared to be intoxicated and locked in the house.  Additionally, they observed a female in the residence that was crying and screaming.

When Roe refused to let deputies in to check on the female’s well-being, deputies forced their way into the residence.

Chief Deputy Roland Kramer said Roe was then taken into custody and charged with obstructing the police, resisting arrest, driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal discharge of a firearm and 3rd degree domestic assault.

Kramer said Roe complained of injuries from running his car into the ditch and was transported to Great Plains Health for treatment.  He was jailed after a two-night stay in the hospital.

 

A North Platte man, who apparently wanted to test out his stunt car driving skills, has instead found himself in jail.

At around 6:00 p.m., on November 4, North Platte Police received a report that a car was high-centered on the guardrail of the northbound lane of the Jeffers Street viaduct.  Police say it appears the car became high-centered after attempting to make a sharp turn from 6th Street onto Jeffers.

Officers made contact with the vehicle’s driver, 41-year-old Phillip Contreras, who they say appeared to be under the influence.

Following a DUI investigation, officers determined that there was probable cause to arrest Contreras for driving under the influence of prescription drugs.

He was transported to the Lincoln County Detention Center and jailed.

The car was removed from the guardrail and towed away.

A trio of transients are in the Lincoln County Jail on felony charges after they were busted with a stolen vehicle in North Platte.

At around 11:00 a.m., on November 4, officers with the North Platte Police Department were dispatched to the area of Leota Street and South Dewey Street.  A complainant had contacted police to express concern over a female panhandler, who the caller believed was a juvenile.

The caller told police that it appeared some adults in a nearby vehicle were benefiting from the girl’s solicitation.

Officers later learned that the girl, who was identified as 19-year-old Bryonna Emerson, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was taking money and giving it to a male subject in a nearby blue GMC Jimmy.

As officers were on scene, they observed the blue Jimmy traveling at a high rate of speed through the Walmart parking lot, and come within feet of hitting Emerson.  Police say they believe this was done in an effort to scare her.

Officers conducted a traffic stop in the parking lot east of Runza, 202 East Leota, and made contact with the driver, 19-year-old Alex Brown of Salt Lake City, and a passenger, 18-year-old Dalton Carpenter, also of Salt Lake City.

As officers were questioning the men, they learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen from Salt Lake City.

As a result, Brown, Carpenter and Emerson were all placed under arrest and charged with felony possession of stolen property.

They were jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

Officer Rodney Brown said the vehicle was towed and impounded until arrangements could be made for its return to Utah.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Republican Charlie Janssen has won election as Nebraska’s state auditor over Democrat Amanda McGill.

Voters Tuesday chose Janssen to take a position that had been held by Republican Mike Foley, who ran for lieutenant governor.

Both Janssen, of Fremont, and McGill, of Lincoln, are state senators.

Janssen is best known statewide for his vocal opposition to granting legal status to immigrants in the country illegally, but he focused his auditor campaign on a promise to bring business-management experience to the job from his position leading a medical staffing agency.

Janssen earlier ran for governor before withdrawing and entering the race for auditor.

McGill had called the auditor position an extension of the work she did as a legislator in which she sought to spot problems and make reforms.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Republican Doug Peterson has been elected Nebraska attorney general over Democrat Janet Stewart.

Voters chose Peterson, an attorney from Lincoln, over Stewart, an attorney from Fremont.

In his campaign, Peterson called for helping county attorneys and local law enforcement with their cases and seeking new laws to fight drugs, gang activity and human trafficking.

Previous attorney generals have run for governor, but Peterson promised not to seek another office in the future, saying he wasn’t motivated by political ambition.

Stewart had said she’d focus on fixing problems with the Department of Correctional Services, which has come under fire for miscalculating hundreds of inmate sentences and releasing many from prison too early.

Peterson will replace incumbent Jon Bruning, who is leaving office after running unsuccessfully for governor.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Republican Adrian Smith had no trouble winning election to a fifth term representing Nebraska’s sprawling 3rd Congressional District.

Voters Tuesday favored Smith over Democrat Mark Sullivan, a feedlot owner and former member of the Nebraska Air National Guard.

It was the second time the two had faced each other for a chance to represent the district, which includes about three-fourths of Nebraska. In 2012, Smith won easily.

In his campaign, Smith argued for repealing the Affordable Care Act, cutting the federal debt and reducing regulations.

Sullivan contended Smith shared the blame for Washington dysfunction, saying the country needed people committed to working together and solving problems.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Voters have approved a measure raising Nebraska’s minimum wage to $9 an hour by 2016.

The measure won Tuesday despite opposition from most Republican officials and business leaders, who argued it would hurt companies and force them to cut jobs.

Supporters countered that the increase from the current minimum wage of $7.25 was needed because Nebraska workers who earn that much are struggling. They contended the increased wage could make a significant difference to workers while causing little harm to businesses.

The Legislature had declined to increase the minimum wage, so advocates collected signatures from nearly 135,000 people to put it on the ballot. Nebraska’s minimum wage was last increased in 2009.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska voters have overwhelmingly elected Republican Ben Sasse to the U.S. Senate over Democrat David Domina.

Sasse easily won election Tuesday, replacing Republican Mike Johanns, who didn’t seek re-election.

Sasse is president of Midland University in Fremont and previously worked in the U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Services.

He holds degrees from Harvard, Yale and St. John’s universities.

During the campaign, Sasse largely ignored Domina, a lawyer from Omaha. Sasse had strong tea party support and called for a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, tax cuts and changes to Social Security for people who are not nearing retirement age.