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Nebraska Fugitive Shot Himself Instead of Giving Up, Authorities Say

David Hoffman
David Hoffman

NIOBRARA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man sought after assaulting and disarming a police officer shot himself as officers tried to arrest him on the Santee Sioux Indian Reservation in northeast Nebraska.

Authorities say David Hoffman refused to surrender when found on the reservation Wednesday. He was taken to a local hospital. FBI spokeswoman Sandy Breault says no officers were injured.

The search began Tuesday afternoon after a Niobrara police officer tried to arrest Hoffman on a Knox County warrant alleging burglary and theft. The Nebraska State Patrol and other agencies joined the search as Niobrara schools and some businesses were locked down.

The warrant says Hoffman’s charged with burglary and theft. Court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment on Hoffman’s behalf.

2nd Suspect Arrested in Fatal Lincoln Shooting

handcuffsLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a woman suspected of luring a Nebraska man to his death.

The 21-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of being an accessory to murder. Police say she lured 27-year-old James Carr to the Lincoln location where he was eventually shot Monday, knowing that a man he’d been feuding with would be there. The man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and use of a weapon.

Online court records don’t yet show that the two suspects have been charged.

Authorities Say Man Disarmed Nebraska Officer, Escaped

state-patrol-logoNIOBRARA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say they’re seeking a man who disarmed a police officer in northeast Nebraska, pointed the gun at the officer and then ran.

On Wednesday Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins said 25-year-old David Hoffman has not been caught yet.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office says on its Facebook page that it’s believed he may have left the area. The search began after a Niobrara officer tried to arrest Hoffman Tuesday afternoon on a Knox County warrant.

The patrol and other agencies joined the search for Hoffman as Niobrara schools and some businesses were locked down. Officers searched cabins and other buildings at Niobrara State Park.

The warrant says Hoffman’s charged with burglary and theft. Court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment on Hoffman’s behalf.

Woman Arrested in Death of 4-Year-Old Omaha Girl

omaha-policeOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a woman has been accused of involvement in the death of a 4-year-old Omaha girl.

Officers were sent to a northeast Omaha home around 10 p.m. Tuesday after a caller reported a death. Police said in a news release Wednesday that investigators determined that a crime was involved in the death of Alicia Morrow.

Officers arrested a 22-year-old woman there and booked her into Douglas County Jail on suspicion of criminal homicide. Online court records don’t show that she’s been charged yet.

Omaha Public Schools Settles Drowned Student Case for $250K

omaha-psOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Omaha Public Schools board has approved a $250,000 settlement with the mother of seventh-grader who drowned at a middle school in 2014.

The district voted in favor of the settlement Monday night.

Demariont’e Brown-Elliott was found in Nathan Hale Middle School’s pool during gym class in November 2014.

Adrienne Elliott filed a $1 million claim against the district last January, alleging that her 12-year-old son died because of negligence by district employees and administrators who failed to ensure student safety and properly supervise the swim class.

The district admits no wrongdoing or liability in the settlement, which also bars Elliott and her attorneys from speaking publicly about the claims.

The district also agreed to pay $5,000 for the boy’s funeral services.

Suspect Arrested in Lincoln Murder

Matthew-Pavey
Matthew Pavey

On January 4, 2016, at 11:35 a.m., members of the Lincoln Police Department and Lincoln Fire & Rescue responded to the report of shots fired and a man injured in the 1300 block of N. 20th Street.

Officers found 27-year-old James William Carr lying in front of 1337 N. 20th Street, with multiple gunshot wounds. He was declared deceased at the scene. It is not known how many times James Carr was shot. An autopsy has been scheduled for January 5, 2016.

Through further investigation, 24-year-old Matthew Pavey was developed as a suspect. He had been talking outside with the victim just prior to the shots. The two men have had an on-going feud with one another. Matthew Pavey taken into custody at 2:30 p.m. at a residence in the 2900 block of S. 11th Street. He was later arrested for 1st degree Murder and Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony. He was lodged at the Lancaster County Jail.

The investigation is on-going. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact an LPD investigator at 402.441.6000 or submit information anonymously via Crime Stoppers, 402.475.3600.

Suspect Arrested in Lincoln Gun Death, Police Say

lincoln-policeLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 24-year-old man has been arrested in Lincoln, suspected of shooting to death another man who police say died in an alley.

Authorities say police officers and medics were dispatched around 11:35 a.m. Monday to the report of a shooting. They found the wounded man in the alley just east of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s City Campus. He was pronounced dead there.

Police say witness statements led officers to the man, who was arrested Monday afternoon.

Online court records don’t show that the man has been charged yet.

Authorities ID Nebraskan Who Died After ATV Fell Through Ice

madison-county-sheriffNORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a 57-year-old man who died after his all-terrain vehicle broke through ice on a pond in northeast Nebraska.

On Monday the Madison County Sheriff’s Department identified him as Randall Simpson, of rural Norfolk. Rescuers pulled him from the pond late Saturday afternoon. He was pronounced dead later at a hospital.

Authorities say Simpson was unable to get his seat belt disconnected as the ATV sank into the icy water.

Lincoln Police Investigate Shooting Death of Man

crime-scene-police-shootLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Lincoln police are investigating the shooting death of a man just east of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s City Campus.

Officer Katie Flood says officers were dispatched to check a report of a shooting at 11:35 a.m. Monday. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Flood says officers are poring over the neighborhood, looking for witnesses and evidence. She would not confirm that the man was a homicide victim.

No arrests have been reported.

University police urged students and staffers to avoid the area during the city officers’ investigation.

Son of Fallen Nebraska Firefighter Joins Profession

firedptWOOD RIVER, Neb. (AP) — The son of a fallen Nebraska firefighter is following in his father’s footsteps by joining the profession.

Wood River native Matt Woitalewicz received his badge as a firefighter in Lincoln in November. His father, Kenny, died after trying to save an elderly woman in a house fire in 2004.

Woitalewicz’s father was a captain with the Wood River volunteer fire department. He said he wants to honor what his father did.

His mother, Melissa, says she wanted to make sure her son wasn’t becoming a firefighter only because of what happened to his father. She says her son has “what it takes.”

Woitalewicz says he tries not to let worries creep in, but says that’s why all firefighters train and prepare.

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