Lincoln Police are unraveling a series of events that ended with an officer hospitalized in serious condition.
Police were called to The Casey’s General Store at 4141 S 48th Street for a theft. When officers arrived they talked to an employee who said a man had been in the area visiting gas stations and asking for money. The man took a cup of coffee and left without paying for it.
Officers were familiar with this man as they had responded to other calls in the area where he was acting suspicious at other convenience stores. Each witness stated he was driving a red Oldsmobile Intrigue and provided a license plate and similar descriptions of the man. He had visitied at least 7 other gas stations where employees reported the man was causing disturbances, threatening people, and acting suspicious.
Just before 8 a.m., police were called to the U-Stop at 71st and Pioneers Blvd. where an employee stated the man was walking behind the counter and threatening employees. He then took cigars from behind the counter and continued to cause a disturbance that could be heard by the emergency call taker. An officer was sent to the store and saw the red Oldsmobile parked at th gas pumps and parked behind it to prevent the man from leaving. The officer also saw the man walk out of the store and walk toward his vehicle.
A Nebraska State trooper arrived at the scene to assist and together with the officer they approached the man as he was getting into his vehicle. The officers tried to take the man into custody but he got in the car and driving the vehicle back and forth pinning the officers in the open door frame while ramming his car into the police cruiser and gas pump. Both the officer and the trooper were injured and an “officer emergency” was declared over the radio.
Officers responded to the call which included the Nebraska State Patrol and Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office. Another trooper arrived just as the suspect vehicle was fleeing the area. That trooper initiated a pursuit as the vehicle fled westbound on Pioneers before turning northbound on 70th Street. As the vehicle reached an area with no traffic between Normal Blvd. and Van Dorn Street, the trooper performed a tactical vehicle intervention to bring the pursuit to an end.
Officers took the man into custody around 8am without further incident. The man has been identified as Connor Sweeney, 29 years old. He has been arrested for two counts of Assault on a Police Officer and several other charges related to this incident.
Both the officer and trooper were treated at a local area hospital for their injuries which are not considered life-threatening.
