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Police: Man shot by officer released from hospital, arrested

officer-involved-shootingOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say an Omaha man shot by an officer earlier this week has been arrested and taken to jail after being released from a hospital.

Police say 31-year-old Dillion Trejo was released from Nebraska Medical Center on Saturday and immediately booked into the Douglas County jail. He’s charged with robbery, theft and several other counts.

Trejo was shot Monday by Omaha Officer Brooks Riley, a seven-year veteran, following a chase. Police say Trejo robbed a convenience store Monday, drove away and then stole a pickup truck. When he fled the truck on foot, the officer confronted him with his service gun drawn.

Police and prosecutors say the shooting was justified. Riley’s body-camera footage seems to show Trejo reaching into his waistband and simulating pulling a gun on the officer.

Lincoln fire captains sue, say complaints led to retaliation

lincoln-fire-departmentLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Two Lincoln Fire and Rescue captains are suing the department, saying their bosses retaliated against them for reporting harassment of female firefighters in the department.

Capts. Brian Giles and Troy Hurd say they were passed up for promotions while firefighters who were less qualified got the jobs. Hurd’s lawsuit says he also faced unwarranted disciplinary actions.

Hurd filed his federal lawsuit last year. A jury trial is scheduled for next year.

Giles filed his lawsuit Wednesday, saying retaliation against him began after he filed complaints that a woman at one station was arbitrarily placed on 18 months’ observation and was discouraged from applying for a rescue and hazmat job because “typically women are less mechanically-minded than men.”

Giles and Hurd seek unspecified damages.

Stop turns up marijuana, hash oil and pot-infused candy

douglas-county-sheriffOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Two people have been arrested after police say a traffic stop turned up marijuana, hash oil and pot-infused candy in their car.

A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy stopped the couple’s car, which had California plates, Thursday afternoon. Authorities say the driver, from New York, admitted there was a significant amount of marijuana in the car.

Deputies say a search of the trunk turned up large duffel bags containing 71 pounds of marijuana, over 1,200 doses of hash oil and eight 4.5-pound bags of THC-infused gummy candy.

Officials say the driver and a 36-year-old passenger — a California woman — were arrested.

Omaha police officers honored for outstanding work last year

omaha-policeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — More than two dozen Omaha police officers have been honored for outstanding work.

The Omaha Police Foundation named Officer Robbie Goering-Jensen the officer of the year for helping rescue three people from a house fire.

Goering-Jensen entered a burning house three times to make sure that everyone inside made it out safely. He also received the Medal of Valor for his actions that day.

The Omaha Police Foundation also recognized the efforts of the department’s gang unit for arrested hundreds of suspects and working to mentor at-risk youth.

A total of 27 officers and two police units were honored.

Public and private attorneys fight over Omaha murder case

Anthony Garcia
Anthony Garcia

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha judge’s order for collaboration between the publicly appointed and privately retained attorneys for a man convicted of quadruple-murder is facing difficulties as the attorneys continue to argue with each other.

Judge Gary Randall told the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy and legal group Team Motta on Thursday they were “not in third grade” and “have an ethical responsibility to discuss the matter.”

Randall ordered the groups to work together as counsel on Anthony Garcia’s impending sentencing.

Team Motta says it “has no intention” to withdraw as counsel, but the commission says it plans to file for the removal of the group in as early as a week.

Garcia, a former doctor, was found guilty in October of murdering four people as apparent revenge for his 2001 firing from a medical school.

Man serving life for fatal Omaha store shooting loses appeal

Akeem Jones
Akeem Jones

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A man serving life in prison for a deadly 2009 shooting at an Omaha convenience store has lost his appeal.

The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday rejected his argument that there was insufficient evidence to support his conviction.

A Douglas County jury last year found 26-year-old Akeem Jones guilty of first-degree murder for the death of 22-year-old Gary Holmes in a north Omaha convenience store. Police say the shooting also left Holmes’ cousin, Rodney Smith, paralyzed.

Fisherman rescued from lake in south-central Nebraska

Google Maps
Google Maps

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say firefighters and a canoeist have rescued a fisherman whose boat went down in a south-central Nebraska lake.

Grand Island firefighters were called for help from Mormon Island State Recreation Area around 9:15 p.m. Thursday. The call came from a man who’d been in the boat but made it to shore. He feared the two men with him had drowned.

By the time firefighters arrived with their rescue craft, another of the men reached safety ashore. The third man was still in the water, though, clinging to the almost completely submerged fishing boat.

A man in a canoe met the firefighters’ craft, and they helped the man into the craft so he could be taken to the shore and to a hospital.

The men’s names haven’t been released.

Man died after shooting in north Omaha, police say

crime-scene-police-shootOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man has died after he was shot at a residence in north Omaha.

Police say officers were sent to the residence a little after 3 a.m. Thursday. They found the wounded man, and he was taken to Nebraska Medical Center. Police say he died there.

Police have identified him as 29-year-old Brandon Mutum.

Homicide investigators have been assigned to the case. No arrests have been reported.

Subdivision development in Nebraska files for bankruptcy

Google Maps Image
Google Maps Image

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A subdivision surrounding the stadium that hosts Omaha’s minor league baseball games is filing for bankruptcy after falling in over $12.8 million in debt.

Sanitary and Improvement District No. 290 filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy April 14 after debt built up from building roads, sewers and other infrastructure for the land surrounding Papillion’s Werner Park.

Chapter 9 is the portion of the federal bankruptcy code allowing government entities such as the suburb development to seek reorganization of their finances under court supervision.

Martie Cordaro, president of the Omaha Storm Chasers, says the bankruptcy won’t affect the baseball team’s success and high attendance rate at Werner Park.

Papillion City Administrator Dan Hoins says the city still plans to eventually make the area an entertainment district.

Arrests made at US Capitol pot protests

420WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the 4/20 marijuana celebrations (all times local):

12:35 p.m.

Seven pro-pot activists have been arrested by U.S. Capitol police while handing out free joints to congressional staffers and people who work on Capitol Hill.

The demonstration Thursday was intended as a protest against federal interference with states that have legal pot.

Possession of up to 2 ounces of pot is legal in the District of Columbia, and the demonstration was held on city land rather than federal property in an attempt to comply with the law.

But in a statement, police say they invoked federal law in making the arrests.

Police say a man and two women were charged with possession with intent to distribute, while four women were charged with simple possession.

One of the organizers, Nicholas Schiller, says police “decided to play politics” with the demonstration.

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10:50 a.m.

Colorado lawmakers have rejected a last-minute proposal to ban marijuana churches where users can congregate inside and smoke pot.

The House vote came Thursday on the 4/20 holiday after it debated whether to try stamping out attempts to use religious freedoms to open places where marijuana users can gather.

Opponents from both parties said telling churches how to worship is a “slippery slope.”

The International Church of Cannabis was set to open Thursday in a century-old building in a tony Denver neighborhood.

The former Mount Calvary Apostolic Church has traditional church features outside and psychedelic paintings inside.

It’s illegal in Colorado to consume marijuana indoors in places considered public.

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10:10 a.m.

From Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to Hippie Hill in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, marijuana enthusiasts are observing their 4/20 holiday with public smoke-outs, parties and, yes, great deals on weed.

The annual celebration of cannabis culture is providing activists an opportunity to reflect on how far they’ve come, with the recreational use of marijuana legal now in eight states and the nation’s capital — but also on the national political tone, with Trump administration officials reprising talking points from the heyday of the war on drugs.

Advocates planned to hand out free joints to Congressional staffers Thursday afternoon. In California, which voted to legalize marijuana last fall, tens of thousands were expected at events ranging from marijuana cooking classes to the annual bacchanal in Golden Gate Park.

Pot shops in some legal marijuana states are offering discounts.

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