LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A Lincoln police officer is in critical condition Wednesday after he was shot while attempting to arrest a 17-year-old in connection with a homicide earlier this year, officials said.
Police said they arrested two suspects shortly after the shooting around 11:30 a.m., and identified the 17-year-old as Felipe Vazquez.
Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister said the officer was trying to execute an arrest warrant for Vazquez on a second-degree assault charge tied to the March stabbing death of 36-year-old Edward Varejcka. Authorities said they have tied at least three people to Varejcka’s death.
Bliemeister said Vazquez and 19-year-old Ryan Ross, of Lincoln, fled from the house where the officer was serving the warrant but were caught a short time later. Bliemeister said Lancaster County sheriff’s investigators are still interviewing witnesses and that there is no threat to the public. Neighbors were initially told to stay in their homes.
The officer who was shot, a 23-year veteran, underwent surgery Wednesday afternoon. Police haven’t released his name.
No other injuries were reported.
Two nearby elementary schools took safety precautions after the shooting. Hartley Elementary School went into a lockdown, meaning that students were told to stay away from windows, interior doors were locked and lights were turned off. Clinton Elementary was put in “secure” mode, meaning that all students were kept inside because of a threat in the neighborhood.
Shootings of police officers are relatively rare in Lincoln, a city of roughly 289,000. In 2015, a Lincoln police officer was shot in the arm during a struggle with a 29-year-old man. The suspect was shot and later died from his injuries.
In a statement, Gov. Pete Ricketts extended his sympathies to the wounded officer.
“Today’s events are a reminder of the selfless service and sacrifice of law enforcement in our communities,” he said.
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