(Lincoln, NE) -- A man shot by a Nebraska State Patrol trooper in Lincoln last week is dead.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office says 27 year old German Pedraza died Sunday night after being injured in the officer-involved shooting last Wednesday. Sheriff Terry Wagner says the Lancaster County Attorney has ordered an autopsy to determine Pedraza's cause of death.
Last Wednesday, November 24th, investigators with the Lincoln Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force were following up on a Crime Stoppers tip at an apartment near 19th and G Streets when they saw a Chrysler 300 pull into the apartment parking lot. The sheriff's office says a man, later identified as Pedraza, was driving and that a woman was in the passenger seat of the vehicle. Investigators say the car had previously been mentioned in drug enforcement cases.
Investigators say while attempting to make contact with Pedraza, officers reportedly saw him trying to pull out a gun. Sheriff Wagner says officers gave Pedraza loud verbal commands to drop the gun, but he reportedly refused and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, investigators say an NSP trooper fired one round from his duty pistol, striking Pedraza in the neck. Wagner says medical aid was immediately given to Pedraza following the shooting.
According to Sheriff Wagner, four separate bags with 24.3 grams of marijuana in total, as well as 3 grams of a granular substance suspected to be narcotics were found in the car Pedraza was driving. He says during a search of an apartment near 19th and G streets 19.6 grams of methamphetamine and 1.1 grams of marijuana were also seized
Investigators said the case will be presented to a grand jury, which is required by state law anytime someone dies as a result of law enforcement action or in custody. The Nebraska State Patrol is also conducting a separate internal investigation to ensure their policy and procedures were being followed. The trooper has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.