(Lincoln, NE) -- New details about the fatal officer-involved shooting in Lincoln Saturday morning are released.
Wednesday morning, the Lincoln Police Department and Lancaster County Sheriff's Office held a joint press briefing to give the update. After consulting with the County Attorney, the Lancaster County Sheriff's office says a preliminary investigation shows law officers from the Nebraska State Patrol and Lincoln Police were legally justified in using deadly force against two people from Wyoming wanted in a northwest Lincoln robbery.
Investigators say 26 year old Christian Alexander, of Evansville, Wyoming, died Tuesday afternoon, and an autopsy is scheduled as the investigation continues. 30 year old Hailey Stainbrook, of Casper, Wyoming, died Saturday following the shooting.
Law enforcement say they have reviewed video evidence from the in-car cameras, body worn cameras and security footage from businesses where Alexander and Stainbrook went. They say Stainbrook and the victim of the armed robbery met up Friday evening and spent some time together at the robbery victim’s hotel.
The sheriff's office says a State Trooper located a white trailblazer parked in front of a convenience store on Superior Street and pulled his cruiser behind it. They say Stainbrook backed into the trooper's vehicle, before driving away.
The trooper pursued the suspects on Superior. At 14th Street, the pursuit went north, and, at Alvo Road, the trooper attempted an unsuccessful intervention technique. The pursuit went to the N. 56th and Arbor Rd area where another effort to stop it was attempted.
At this time, investigators say Alexander pointed a handgun out of the window at the trooper. Two troopers and a Lincoln Police officer, identified as 19 year veteran Jesse Hilger, were at the scene. The Nebraska State Patrol has not publicly identified the troopers involved, as they continue their internal investigation. The vehicle eventually came to rest in the southbound traffic lanes of N. 56th (U.S. 77) below the I-80 bridge.
The Sheriff's office says Alexander pointed the handgun at officers, and they fired their weapons. When the threat from Alexander was over, negotiations began with Stainbrook to have her drop the weapon she had. They say these negotiations lasted approximately 7 minutes and ended when Stainbrook pointed her weapon at officers and a state trooper fired his weapon.
Ballistic and forensic evidence is being examined to determine which of the suspects may have fired a revolver recovered from the vehicle. The revolver had live rounds and a fired round in the weapon. Another semi-automatic pistol, recovered from the Trailblazer, turned out to be a .177 cal. pellet pistol, a SIG Sauer lookalike.
Investigators have been in contact with both Alexander and Stainbrook’s families, who have assisted in the investigation. The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and the Lincoln Police Department are continuing their respective investigations into this incident.
The Nebraska State Patrol released the following statement Wednesday morning in regards to the incident:
Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, issues the following statement upon the announcement from Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner that law enforcement actions were justified during an officer-involved shooting Saturday morning in Lincoln.
“We’d like to thank the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office for their diligent and thorough investigation into Saturday’s incident,” said Colonel Bolduc. “All NSP personnel continue to cooperate fully with that investigation. Above all, we are thankful for the safety of all law enforcement personnel involved, as well as the general public. The trooper who was injured continues to recover, but may require additional treatment for the injuries he sustained when his patrol vehicle was struck by the suspects’ vehicle.”
NSP says as their internal process continues, and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office continues its work, NSP will not release the names of the two troopers involved in the incident. In accordance with Nebraska State Statute, a grand jury will also convene to investigate the incident.